Expert Testifies Military Profession Most at Risk for PTSD in Murder Trial of Patricia Sirois

Martin Lévesque was part of the military profession most at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, exposed a psychiatrist specializing in the matter at the trial for the murder of Patricia Sirois.

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A combat engineer in the Canadian Armed Forces, Martin Lévesque found himself on the front line during his deployments in theaters of war, including two tours in Afghanistan. The man had been retired from the army for four years at the time of the murder of Patricia Sirois. His ex-spouse recounted on Tuesday the consequences on him of the loss of close friends in combat, adding that Lévesque had himself been injured by an explosion.

For psychiatrist Mathieu Bilodeau, these contacts with death do not lie.

“The proximity of combat, of danger, increases the risk of post-traumatic stress,” explained the doctor who practices at the TSO Clinic in Quebec, specializing in the treatment of former soldiers.

The D^r Bilodeau, however, never assessed Martin Lévesque personally. The defense made it heard on Wednesday to present the outline of this evil which afflicts many veterans.

Summarizing the results of an analysis carried out by one of his former colleagues following the return from a mission of a group of soldiers, Dr.^r Bilodeau estimated the occurrence rate of post-traumatic stress disorder at more than 50% among the combat engineers in the sample.

Hypervigilance et dissociation

Nightmares, flashbacksamnesia, loss of interest or detachment from loved ones, hyperarousal and hypervigilance, the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder presented by D^r Bilodeau are numerous.

Hypervigilance, however, becomes the most incapacitating symptom for the clientele, explained the specialist, specifying that patients will tend to isolate themselves to reduce contact with what they perceive as potential dangers.

The defense attorney, Mr.^e Pierre Gagnon, was also interested in the dissociation that some patients may present. Recall that his client, Martin Lévesque, admitted to having killed his neighbor Patricia Sirois with six shots on September 10, 2021, but pleaded not criminally responsible for mental disorders. He claimed in interrogation after the murder to fear due to attempted robbery and arson at his home in the previous weeks.

“The growth of hypervigilance in someone who is prone to dissociation, does that hypervigilance make a dissociation episode more likely,” Ms.^e Gain to the witness.

“This is what we observe in the clinic with our clientele, admitted the D^r Bilodeau. The more they are convinced that there is a threat, the more they will tend to dissociate.

And the role of alcohol in the portrait?

“Alcohol is one of the most dissociating factors,” said the psychiatrist.

It was established in evidence that Martin Lévesque had consumed alcohol on the day of the tragedy. Some witnesses have established that the man and his spouse both seemed intoxicated in the hours preceding the death of Patricia Sirois.

“Very complex phenomenon”

To properly explain the dissociation to the jury, the D^r Bilodeau broke it down into two categories.

Those with “positive symptoms” are additions to reality perceived by the patient. It can be flashbacks linked to missions that make people feel things that are not there and that distort perception. An ex-serviceman can for example imagine seeing the desert sand or feeling the hot sun on his skin even if it is -5° and thus plunge back into the emotions of stress and anguish of a mission.

Dissociation with negative symptoms is the equivalent of a switch that closes.

“It’s like the breaker who jumps. We talk about amnesia, derealization, depersonalization,” explained the doctor.

And can an individual who dissociates register and understand what is happening around? Does he have any memories?

This is the crux of the debate and the D^r Bilodeau said there are as many possibilities as there are cases of post-traumatic stress disorder.

“We see a bit of everything. People who are a little or a lot dissociated. With or without amnesia. With positive or negative symptoms. It is a very complex phenomenon and we see it all over the place.

The doctor’s cross-examination will continue Thursday morning. The accused, Martin Lévesque, must then take the stand to tell his story.

The defense will then present the testimony of psychiatrist Gilles Chamberland, who assessed the psychological condition of Martin Lévesque.

Post-traumatic stress syndrome

4 categories of symptoms:

• Intrusions (traumatic nightmares, intrusive memories, flashbacks, etc.)
• Persistent avoidance of trauma and related stimuli
• Mood disorders (dissociative amnesia, irritability, detachment from loved ones, inability to feel positive emotions, etc.)
• Hyperarousal and hypervigilance

To make a diagnosis, a determined number of simultaneous symptoms must be observed for more than one month in the patient.