PSYCHIATRIC EVIDENCE IN TRIAL OF SCHOOLBOY

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32233, 27 February 1970, Page 22

PSYCHIATRIC EVIDENCE IN TRIAL OF SCHOOLBOY

(New Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, February 26. “I must infer that the ball-throwing between Paul and Helen must in some way have stimulated him, possibly sexually, almost to breaking point,” said Roger Hector 'Culpan, a psychiatrist, in the Supreme Court in New Plymouth today.

Paul Julian, aged 14, a school pupil, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murdering his sister. Helen Mina Julian, aged 11. in New Plymouth on November 9. Mr Justice Beattie is on the bench and there is a jury of 11 men and one woman Mr R. C. Savage, with him] Mr G. A. Laurenson, repre ’ sents the Crown; and Mr G. L i McLeod, with him Mr D G Medway, appears for Paul i Julian. Dr Culpan said he interviewed the accused on Feb ruary 21 and this morning. I On February 21 the accused]' appeared pleasant, friendly and it appeared he was try ]

ing to co-operate in answer ing questions. As the inter view progressed Dr Culpan was impressed by the monotony and unchanging aspect of the boy’s emotional state. Much of the time, he an swered questions with a sori ot half-smile and. having an swered a serious question, he would almost laugh Became Red Dr Culpan said the boy’s: apparent physical disturbance mounted in intensity through out the interview, although his emotional state had not' changed. He was restless.; clenched and unclenched his j fists, and became quite red. “At one time when I showed him the. mutilated! “Playboy” magazine, he became particularly restless and the thought crossed.my mind that he might suddenly erupt and attack me. even though his answers' to my questions did not show much emotion and were not particularly informative," said Dr Culpan. “Paul tells me that he stole the first ‘Playboy’ from a shop and then went back and stole the identical dumber again. “This to common sense rea ! soning seems irrational, but to me it is an example of. schizophrenic thinking, in that two identical magazines appeared to be of twice the value of one to the safne reader. “Paul said he was serious., tolerant of people and didi not harbour grudges • Shy With People “He considers he is reason-i ably confident in his school; work but is shy with people.' particularly women, and has no need to ventilate his feelings to other people.” The accused told Dr Culpan that he had often had the ex-j perience of losing the thread! of his thoughts, even when! not distracted “Paul admitted having dam-i aged the magazine by hitting; across all the female figures! with the points of a pair of scissors,” said Dr Culpan. “Paul said that this had happened during July or August, 1969, in his bedroom. He said he held the pages up in the air and slashed at them With the points. “When shown the apparent stab marks through some of the figures, he appeared surprised and suggested that

somebody else must have I caused them. Leading Questions “He claimed he did not I know why he had felt like doing this, but admitted with (reluctance that it gave him a 'certain thrill. “He said the mutilation of. the magazine had taken place over a period. He denied harbouring any destructive feellings towards the female sex jin general or towards any [woman in particular" Dr Culpan said Paul's answers concerning the state ofi [his mind before November 9; [were vague, but with leading. questions Paul did acknow-i ledge that during the weeks! before the killing he was: starting to get irritable, par-! ticularly with people who annoyed him. “Paul denied ever losing his! temper.” Dr Culpan said he asked; Paul whether he remembered' stabbing Helen. Paul said: “l| think I was aware I was hitting her. She screamed and; all I gather is that 1 was stabbing her. 1 think 1 went to! get the other knife." “Like A Dream” Dr Culpan said be asked Paul whether he would say he panicked. Paul said: “I think I would say something inside me just broke and it (happened. 1 was partially I aware I was stabbing her [Like a dream, my first definite memory is reaching fori the other knife. “1 hit out at Helen with it.! iAs far as 1 know it was twice! 'and then I went out the winidow.” Later, Paul said: “1 would not have known it was wrong) at the time. 1 just realised after I had hit her with the) other knife. 1 don’t know that I was sorry and I don’t know) that I am now.” Woman Screaming Paul told Dr Culpan he had been in trouble for breaking and entering. “There was a woman screaming then,” Paul said. “Perhaps it took me back to that time and 1 wanted to shut out the screaming." Paul told Dr Culpan he did, not think Helen had deserved to die. Paul denied having been nervous in the Magis-I trate’s Court and said he was! not worried over the prospect of going to Borstal. I Dr Culpan told the court, he firmly believed Paul was! suffering from early paranoid! schizophrenia. Charles Francis Whitting-! ton, deputy superintendent of! Oakley Hospital, Auckland,!

said he saw Paul Julian a total of about 5} hours during four separate interviews. It was noticeable during ;the interviews that the acicused was rather restless. ' This was a relatively constant feature and periodically he would blush, the blushing apparently quite unrelated to I the subject matter under discussion. Little Distress The accused’s reaction emotionally to the killing was quite inappropriate, in that i his description was accompanied by little distress. Dr Whittington said. He seemed bereft of feelings of sympathy for his mother nor did he appear to be assailed by personal feelings of shame or re ; morse. The witness said the accused was able to assign to him no adequate motive. On the contrary he appeared to like his dead sister. “The cardinal symptoms, as I discovered them to be, were his emotional blandness and indifference. Together with these blank periods and a distortion of Reality I came to the conclusion this lad was suffering from an early' schizophrenic illness.” Dr Whittington said. Dr Whittington said he had found no symptoms of a paranoia. The symptoms he found were primarily those involving an emotional change. He did not subscribe to the view that the killing was done in a state of schizophrenic frenzy.