An emergency room doctor who saw Lionel Desmond weeks before he killed three family members and himself says the former soldier did not present as potentially suicidal or homicidal.
Dr. Ali Khakpour told a provincial inquiry today he treated Desmond for a lacerated finger at the Guysborough Memorial Hospital on Dec. 13, 2016, and saw him again on Dec. 20, when he refilled a prescription for a sleeping aid.
READ MORE: Desmond inquiry: doctor says former soldier Lionel Desmond needed psychotherapy
Get daily National news
Desmond’s medical care is at the centre of the inquiry, which is trying to determine why the Afghanistan war veteran fatally shot his wife, daughter and mother inside their home in Upper Big Tracadie, N.S., on Jan. 3, 2017.
Khakpour, who has experience treating cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among soldiers in his native Iran, says Desmond seemed stable and didn’t appear to be a danger to himself or others.
- Osoyoos Band seeks return of sacred sites in discussions with B.C. government
- Record turnout expected for Penticton Peach Classic Triathlon, boosting local economy
- Mom and 1-month-old baby missing in northern B.C., not seen since July 9
- Hoekstra says Trump serious about tariff threat over wildfire smoke
He told the inquiry he was aware Desmond had an appointment on Dec. 21, 2016, with psychiatrist Dr. Ian Slayter at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish, N.S.
Khakpour says he was “shocked” when he learned Desmond had killed himself and his family.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.