Vaudreuil-Dorion man charged with murder of his mother and neighbour, not fit to stand trial: court

The man who was charged with two counts of second-degree murder last week in the stabbing deaths of his mother and neighbour in Vaudreuil-Dorion, has been ordered to undergo a 30-day psychiatric treatment and is currently not fit to stand trial.

Fabio Puglisi, 44, was back in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield court on Thursday, where the findings of a psychiatric report from the Philippe-Pinel Institute were made public.

Puglisi allegedly killed his 68-year-old mother Elisabetta Caucci-Puglisi and 53-year-old neighbour Manon Blanchard on Feb. 15 in a condo building.

The suspect also allegedly stabbed a 69-year-old woman – who was transported to hospital in critical condition, but survived.

On Feb. 16, he was also charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault of the third victim.

Puglisi was in court on Thursday and remained silent as the judge explained the treatment he would have to undergo.

The 30-day treatment is intended to stabilize his mental state, said Judge Bertrand St-Arnaud to the accused.

Court documents show Puglisi has a long history of mental illness and has twice been found not criminally responsible for offences in 2012 and 2020.

He now return to Pinel for treatment and will be back in court on March 25.

The Crown requested the 30-day treatment period, which was also recommended by the doctor who carried out the court-ordered psychiatric evaluation requested by the defence.

Prosecutor Hélene Langis says the goal is so the defendant can take part in an eventual trial and collaborate in his defence.

His lawyer, Alexandre Dubé, said he has not been able to really discuss with Puglisi at all and that he is following the psychiatrist’s conclusions.

History of mental health issues

Court documents show that Puglisi has twice been found not criminally responsible for offences in 2012 and 2020, both due to his mental state.

The first involved charges of assault with a weapon, dangerous driving and hit-and-run stemming from a 2011 road-rage incident on a Montreal highway. A mental-health review decision described it as “an attack on a motorist on the highway in a paranoid delusional experience.”

The second was a 2018 fraud case involving the sale of a fake work of art attributed to celebrated Quebec artist Jean-Paul Riopelle. 

In an October 2020 decision by the province’s mental-health review board, the Commission d’examen des troubles mentaux, he was deemed not to represent a risk to public safety and was released without condition. At that time, his mental state was considered stable, no violence was reported and he lived with his mother, to whom he provided care. The commission found he was well supported by family. 

The reports noted Puglisi’s psychiatric history dates back to 2007, with a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder.

More recently, court records show Puglisi was charged after he allegedly assaulted a woman with whom he had no connection in Vaudreuil-Dorion on Nov. 16. He was due in court last week in that case and is scheduled for another hearing on Thursday for this.