Winnipeg court told accused in murder case has mental capacity of small child

WINNIPEG—A psychologist says a man accused of murder has the intellectual capacity of a small child.

Dr. Kent Somers was testifying at the trial of 21-year-old Adam Monias.

He’s charged, along with his older brother Stephen, with second-degree murder in the 2012 stabbing death of their cousin, Ian Folster.

The Crown contends the brothers beat and stabbed Folster to death because he laughed when another brother of the Monias’ was arrested.

On Wednesday, court was told Somers administered a battery of cognitive tests on Monias after he was incarcerated and said they indicated he was functionally illiterate and had the intellectual level of a 10-year-old.

That testimony, coupled with evidence from an expert on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, could lay the foundation for Monias’ defence lawyers to argue he couldn’t form the intent necessary for a murder conviction which could result in a conviction on a lesser offence like manslaughter.

It’s still unclear what legal defence his brother will mount.