Re: Lionel Desmond Inquiry

by **Lockey** Wed 24 Mar 2021, 4:43 pm

Desmond inquiry: former soldier was never given two assessments considered essential

Published Wednesday, March 24, 2021

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/desmond-inquiry-former-soldier-was-never-given-two-assessments-considered-essential-1.5360514

by Armoured Thu 25 Mar 2021, 5:20 pm

Desmond inquiry: uncle of ex-soldier saw no signs of violence day before murders

Published Thursday, March 25, 2021

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/desmond-inquiry-uncle-of-ex-soldier-saw-no-signs-of-violence-day-before-murders-1.5362400

by Stanleyz Tue 30 Mar 2021, 5:44 pm

What you need to know about the Desmond Fatality Inquiry

Noushin Ziafati
Published: Mar 30. 2021

On Jan. 3, 2017, Lionel Desmond, an Afghan War veteran, shot and killed his wife Shanna, 10-year-old daughter Aaliyah and his mother Brenda before turning the gun on himself in a home in Upper Big Tracadie, Guysborough County.

The Desmond Fatality Inquiry is investigating the circumstances that led to the triple murder-suicide perpetrated by Desmond.

It is also seeking to determine specific issues, including, but not limited to, whether Desmond and his family had access to the appropriate mental health and domestic violence intervention services leading up to their deaths.

The Chronicle Herald has been following the inquiry closely. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.

Continuity of care
Desmond went months without the followup treatment that he required before he killed his wife, daughter, mother and himself.

According to multiple health-care professionals who have testified as part of the inquiry to date, Desmond required ongoing mental health care and attention after he checked out of an 11-week intensive treatment program at Ste. Anne’s Hospital in Montreal in August 2016.

At Ste. Anne’s, Desmond was diagnosed with severe/chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to his front-line service in Afghanistan, major depressive disorder, alcoholism (in recent remission) and personality traits with mixed features.

When he was discharged from Ste. Anne’s, Desmond was referred to another operational stress injury clinic in Halifax to receive continuity of care, but he declined and said he would seek care in Antigonish instead. His Veterans Affairs Canada case manager was responsible for helping him navigate the health-care system.

But when Desmond moved back home to Nova Scotia to be with his family, he returned with a lot of baggage to a “patchwork” of health-care services available in his rural Guysborough County community.

Judge Warren Zimmer, who is presiding over the inquiry, said Desmond’s mental health saw significant “degradation” after he left Ste. Anne’s.

And as Dr. Ian Slayter, a psychiatrist who saw the veteran at St. Martha's Regional Hospital in Antigonish, put it: Desmond was “falling through the cracks.”

Accessibility of health information across agencies
Desmond’s health information was held between three provinces (Nova Scotia, Quebec and New Brunswick) and a federal department (Veterans Affairs Canada).

Several health-care professionals have testified that they experienced difficulties accessing Desmond’s complete medical history across agencies and provinces, making it tough to understand what kind of care — and urgency of care — the veteran required.

They didn’t have a full picture of the treatment Desmond had already received, nor his history of pressing mental health and marital issues.

A lack of integration of health record databases in Nova Scotia complicated things further.

Alyson Lamb, chief nursing informatics officer at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, is currently helping to modernize Nova Scotia's health information systems.

In her testimony, Lamb said the province has "several, quite old, non-integrated clinical systems,” including one that dates back to the 1980s, which make it difficult for health-care providers to get access to or share patients’ complete medical history.

Lamb is helping to develop One Patient One Record, which would provide a single integrated health record for every Nova Scotian.

Still, given the fact that Desmond received care across three provinces and through the military, it begs the question whether a central repository held perhaps by Veterans Affairs Canada would be a better solution for similar veteran files.

Firearms
Desmond was able to get his firearms licence renewed in 2014, despite the fact that he didn’t disclose he had PTSD or other mental-health conditions on his firearms licence renewal application and attemping suicide a year later.

Joe Roper, a former area firearms officer (AFO) in New Brunswick, was the one who reviewed and investigated Desmond’s licence renewal application.

He testified that two separate doctors indicated that Desmond was fit to possess guns and didn’t believe the veteran posed a threat to himself or others.

In November 2015, Lionel Desmond was involved in four calls to the RCMP, two of them mental-health related, and still managed to hold onto his firearms licence.

In hindsight, Roper said AFOs like himself at the time would've benefited from more mental health training, access to a police records database used by the RCMP called the Police Reporting and Occurrence System and a more open line of communication with doctors who were assessing firearms licence applicants' well-being.

He also suggested that doctors could be educated more on the weight that their medical assessments have in firearms licence applications.

On Jan. 3, 2017, shortly after learning that Shanna was seeking a divorce, Desmond used his possession and acquisition licence to buy a rifle in Antigonish. Within two hours he used it to carry out the triple murder-suicide.

Experienced user of mental-health system
The many psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and emergency room doctors who saw Lionel Desmond relied upon him giving honest answers about his thought processes.

Though he told a psychologist at a New Brunswick occupational stress injury clinic that he was having homicidal, suicidal or paranoid thoughts on a regular basis that involved his wife, he would deny having suicidal/homicidal thoughts to mental health staff in Nova Scotia.

What's next in the inquiry?

The Desmond Fatality Inquiry will resume the week of April 19, when witnesses from Veterans Affairs Canadas are expected to testify.

https://www.thetelegram.com/news/canada/explainer-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-desmond-fatality-inquiry-570117/

by **Silversun** Tue 20 Apr 2021, 2:31 pm

Desmond inquiry: Veterans Affairs refusing to disclose review to fatality inquiry

The Canadian Press
APRIL 20, 2021

https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/desmond-inquiry-veterans-affairs-refusing-to-disclose-review-to-fatality-inquiry-1.24309349

by **Navigator** Tue 20 Apr 2021, 9:49 pm

Desmond inquiry: Veterans Affairs submits internal review after initial refusal

Published Tuesday, April 20, 2021

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/desmond-inquiry-veterans-affairs-submits-internal-review-after-initial-refusal-1.5394796

by Mojave Wed 21 Apr 2021, 8:56 am

Veteran with PTSD who killed his family, himself got $126K in disability compensation

Laura Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Apr 20, 2021

Lionel Desmond Inquiry - Page 7 Desmond-inquiry

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/desmond-vac-compensation-1.5995392

by **RazzorSharp))** Wed 21 Apr 2021, 4:01 pm

Desmond inquiry: social worker reveals details about final call with former soldier

Published Wednesday, April 21, 2021

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/desmond-inquiry-social-worker-reveals-details-about-final-call-with-former-soldier-1.5396505

by Maverick Thu 22 Apr 2021, 8:54 am

3-month delay connecting Lionel Desmond with follow-up care after hospital release, inquiry hears

Laura Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Apr 21, 2021

Lionel Desmond Inquiry - Page 7 Lionel-desmond-inquiry-photo-illustration

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/desmond-clinical-care-1.5996865

by **Riverway** Thu 22 Apr 2021, 4:52 pm

Desmond inquiry: ex-manager of veterans clinic said facility lacked resources

Published Thursday, April 22, 2021

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/desmond-inquiry-ex-manager-of-veterans-clinic-said-facility-lacked-resources-1.5398438

by Echostar Mon 21 Jun 2021, 9:43 pm

Veteran Lionel Desmond became controlling of wife before murder-suicide, inquiry told

Laura Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Jun 21, 2021

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/desmond-inquiry-resumes-june-21-2021-1.6073710

by Xrayxservice Tue 22 Jun 2021, 4:59 pm

Desmond inquiry: Lionel Desmond's case manager testifies about six-month delay

Published Tuesday, June 22, 2021 12

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/desmond-inquiry-lionel-desmond-s-case-manager-testifies-about-six-month-delay-1.5480674

by Ravenson Wed 23 Jun 2021, 4:46 pm

Desmond inquiry: Veterans Affairs manager says family violence training was needed

Published Wednesday, June 23, 2021

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/desmond-inquiry-veterans-affairs-manager-says-family-violence-training-was-needed-1.5482450

by **Zoneforce** Thu 24 Jun 2021, 3:58 pm

Lionel Desmond inquiry: Veterans Affairs review cites delays, calls for changes

Published Thursday, June 24, 2021

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/lionel-desmond-inquiry-veterans-affairs-review-cites-delays-calls-for-changes-1.5484173

by Covert Mon 28 Jun 2021, 9:15 am

Lionel Desmond inquiry reveals cracks in Canadian veterans' health care

Jun 27, 2021

Lionel Desmond inquiry reveals cracks in Canadian veterans' health care

Canadian veteran Lionel Desmond struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Afghanistan. In 2017, he killed his family and then himself.

Four years later, an inquiry into his case has revealed critical gaps in the system meant to help those who served our country.

In Desmond’s case, it took the department six months to appoint Marie-Paule Doucette to the job, a time lag that prompted many questions from lawyers taking part in the inquiry in Port Hawkesbury, N.S.

Doucette says her work with Desmond was sometimes frustrated by “bureaucratic barriers,” including cumbersome requirements for documentation and training.

Ross Lord reports.

by Lux4795 Tue 14 Sep 2021, 4:26 pm

Desmond inquiry: focus of hearings shifts to examination of domestic violence

Published Tuesday, September 14, 2021

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/desmond-inquiry-focus-of-hearings-shifts-to-examination-of-domestic-violence-1.5585088

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