After a nine-month trial, Scott Matheson was found not criminally responsible due to mental disorder on a charge of second-degree murder in the 2021 killing of his 64-year-old neighbour, Robert Dobronay.
In his concluding statement, Justice Geoffrey Gaul determined that Matheson operated “under the delusion” that Dobronay was poisoning him and that his life was in danger.
Gaul said he was “satisfied,” after considering all the evidence, that the defence of mental disorder had been established.
“In my opinion, when Mr. Matheson killed Mr. Dobronay, he was suffering from a mental disorder that disrupted his ability to think rationally and… rendered him incapable of knowing that his actions were wrong,” he said. “Consequently… I find Mr. Matheson is not currently responsible for the murder of Robert Dobronay.”
“In my opinion, Mr. Matheson was unable to rationally assess his environment or the threats within him. As a result, he was deprived of the ability to make rational choices as pertaining to the threat that Mr. Dobronay posed.”
After issuing his verdict, Justice Gaul ordered Matheson’s case be sent to the review board for a hearing within 90 days. In the meantime, Matheson will remain in custody at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, pending his appearance before the board.
Before adjourning the trial, Gaul addressed the crowd to “acknowledge the heartbreaking circumstances in this case.”
“I also wish to acknowledge those present in the public gallery who have been impacted by the terrible events of September 2021 that resulted in the tragic and senseless death of Robert Dobronay,” he said. “My sincere hope is that the conclusion of these proceedings will provide you with a sense of personal peace and closure.”
Outside the courtroom, family and friends of the victim expressed their anger and discontent with the verdict.
“I’m disappointed all around,” said Gary Lokken, a friend of the victim’s family. “You'd like to see him in jail, but if he gets out… what's gonna happen?”
“The biggest fear is that this guy is a manipulator and he's told the story that he thinks will help him out,” added Rick Thompson, another friend of the victim’s family. “He's going to get a pass after middle of treatment and then he's going to be out on the street able to harm someone else again.”
“He’s a murderer and he should be put behind bars so he cannot hurt other people.”
During the trial, Matheson admitted to delivering either multiple blows to Robert Dobronay's neck or one forceful blow causing "massive fracturing," before putting the man into a choke-hold. He then used fabric and electrical tape to gag Dobronay, and used rope to bind his wrists and feet together before leaving his Saanich residence on Battleford Avenue.
The case was previously adjourned for several months after the defence argued Matheson should be found not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder, prompting a forensic psychiatrist assessment to determine his criminal responsibility in the killing.
Dr. Mario Moscovici stood as a witness on Friday, Aug. 8, explaining his findings after his interviews with Matheson, assessing that he likely suffers from bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder.
In Matheson's case, Moscovici said, at the time of the murder he believed he was seeing demons, thought Dobronay was poisoning him, thought he was "the chosen one," and that he was being watched through the internet.
Complicating the diagnosis was Matheson's extended history of substance abuse, which Moscovici said could contribute to potentially severe stimulant-use disorder, cannabis-use disorder, alcohol-use disorder, opioid-use disorder and steroid-use disorder. Matheson is believed to have used methamphetamine within 24 hours of the murder.
- With files from Bailey Seymour
