N.S. man accused of murder found unfit to stand trial

Blair Rhodes · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 05, 2025 4:04 PM EST | Last Updated: November 5

A 75-year-old Halifax antheral has been recovered unfit to basal proceedings connected a complaint of second-degree murder.

James Alfred MacLean was scheduled to spell connected proceedings opening adjacent week successful the 2020 decease of Donald Scott McKay, 60, who was stabbed to decease successful a Morris Street gathering successful Halifax.

But successful a proceeding successful Nova Scotia Supreme Court connected Wednesday, Justice Christa Brothers accepted the findings of a psychiatric appraisal arsenic capable impervious that MacLean is unfit to beryllium tried.

The assessment, requested by MacLean’s lawyer Peter Mancini, was conducted by forensic psychiatrist Grainne Neilson, who submitted her study 4 weeks ago. In it, she recovered MacLean is suffering from untreated schizophrenia.

“Mr. MacLean has a past past of psychosis manifest by delusional beliefs with grandiose and persecutory themes (eg having superior talents/abilities, radical trying to bargain from him oregon termination him), beliefs of clairvoyance and preoccupation astir ‘evil’ and spirits successful his apartment,” Neilson wrote.

She recovered MacLean is besides suffering from cognitive decline, apt owed to aging.

Crown and defence lawyers had requested Wednesday's proceeding to sermon the findings of her study and the imaginable of a trial.

MacLean sat softly successful court, flanked by 2 sheriff’s deputies, during the little proceedings.

Brothers remanded him to the East Coast Forensic Hospital successful Dartmouth wherever helium volition beryllium nether the attraction and supervision of the Criminal Code Review Board.

Crown authoritative Steve Anstey said extracurricular tribunal aft the proceeding that MacLean's not-guilty plea has been acceptable speech and his proceedings dates vacated.

“If astatine immoderate constituent Mr. MacLean becomes acceptable to basal trial, we support the ability, these charges person not disappeared, the complaint remains live but for today's purposes, it means the proceedings cannot hap arsenic scheduled adjacent week,” Anstey said.

The reappraisal committee has 45 days to find what attraction MacLean requires. The substance is scheduled to instrumentality to tribunal successful 2 years to marque definite everything remains connected track. 

Donald Scott McKay, 60, was killed connected Dec. 8, 2020, successful Halifax. (Arbor Memorial)

On Dec. 8, 2020, constabulary officers responded to a weapons ailment astatine a Morris Street gathering and recovered McKay wrong suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was taken to infirmary wherever helium died.

According to McKay's obituary, helium died 2 days earlier his 61st birthday. He loved stone 'n' rotation and going to the household campy successful Wentworth, the obituary said.

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