WESTERN BUREAU:

Dr Wendel Abel, consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer at the University of the West Indies, took the stand yesterday in the Stephen Fray case in the Western Regional Gun Court.

And like the diagnosis made by government psychiatrist Dr Kevin Golbourne, he feels the 22-year-old accused would-be hijacker, who held captive over 160 passengers and crew aboard the CanJet charter 918 at the Sangster International Airport on Sunday, April 19, could have been under the influence of delusion.

Condition normal

The doctor reportedly said this condition is normal with people suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.

On Monday, the airline's pilot told the court that Fray said he was God. "It's not abnormal for persons suffering with this condition to talk like that," Abel reportedly told prosecutors while being questioned late yesterday afternoon.

The doctor, whose extensive work includes research on the prevalence of depression and its co-morbidity in Jamaica, returns to the stand today as the prosecution continues its cross-examination.

He was one of two persons who gave statements in support of Fray who has been in lock-up since Monday, April 20.

Signs of illness

Another witness, one of Fray's best friends with whom he attended preparatory and high school, said he never expected what happened on the CanJet flight. "I noticed signs of illness, though, because he became very withdrawn," the friend is reported to have said.

Fray's mother, Dawn, his sister and the cousin who went on to the aircraft to try to get him to give himself up will also testify in the case.

On Wednesday, Stephen Fray, who is facing 10 counts of gun-related charges, reportedly told prosecutor he doesn't remember what happened during the attempted hijacking of the CanJet charter.

Fray is represented by the father-and-son team of George and Martyn Thomas.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com