The trial for Scott Matheson, who admitted to beating and asphyxiating his 64-year-old neighbour to death, has begun, but it will be adjourned for at least the next 30 days as the court waits for Matheson's forensic psychiatric assessment.
On Monday, Nov. 18, Matheson, who was charged with second-degree murder and is currently being held in custody, admitted to the crime in an agreed statement of facts between Crown counsel and the defence regarding the murder of 64-year-old Robert Dobronay, who was found dead in his Saanich suite on Sept. 8, 2021.
Crown prosecutor Leslie Baskerville explained to a court packed with Dobronay's friends and family, the events that led up to his death, the crime itself, and Matheson's actions following the murder.
On Sept. 5, Matheson asked to stay with his friend, who was also Dobronay's friend and neighbour. That day, Matheson and the mutual friend smoked methamphetamine, then later went to Elements Casino, where the friend won a "substantial amount of cash" which he used to buy more drugs.
The next day, Sept 6, Matheson "formed a belief that he was being poisoned by noxious fumes or gases," which he believed were being forced into the room he was sleeping in, and he suspected Dobronay, along with others living in the building, of trying to poison him.
During the day, when his friend left him alone, Dobronay and Matheson met for the first time in the building's backyard.
"Dobronay came out to the backyard and introduced himself to Mr. Matheson," Baskerville told the court. "Mr. Matheson thought that Mr. Dobronay was odd. Mr. Dobronay claimed, for example, to know Justin Trudeau. Mr. Matheson turned the conversation to a discussion of God and how one never knew if today was one's last day to live."
Later in the day, he chose to confront Dobronay for the poisoning accusation, which led to Matheson attacking Dobronay, striking his head and face, ultimately breaking his nose and rendering him unconscious.
He also delivered either multiple blows to Dobronay's neck or one extremely strong and forceful blow causing "massive fracturing," Baskerville said, noting that Matheson put the man into a choke-hold.
"Matheson caused Mr. Dobronay's death by a combination of blunt head and neck trauma, together with asphyxia. Mr. Matheson caused multiple injuries to Mr. Dobronay, which independently could have caused Mr. Dobronay's death, and he was alive while all of those injuries were inflicted," she said.
He then used fabric and electrical tape to gag Dobronay, using rope to bind his wrists and feet together before locking and leaving the suite and stealing drugs and wristwatches from his friend's suite.
The next day, Sept 7, he took a ferry to the Lower Mainland, and on Sept 8, Dobronay was found dead by a mutual friend.
On two occasions after the murder, Matheson spoke with his sister over the phone, saying "both of his roommates were trying to kill him by spraying ether or poison under the door, and he beat the guy, Mr. Dobronay, so bad he, Matheson, thought he killed him," Baskerville explained.
While speaking to reporters outside of the courtroom, friends and family of Dobronay expressed that Matheson was a "dangerous person," and that Dobronay "wouldn't hurt a fly" and is an "innocent man who deserves justice."
The trial will be adjourned, likely until December, as the court waits for forensic psychiatric assessment, which will likely be Matheson's main defence as he pleaded guilty to the charge despite admitting to the crime.
