The closing arguments are presented on Wednesday in the Halloween murder trial in Quebec City, where the defense is trying to convince the jurors that their client should be considered not criminally responsible for the murders.

Karl Girouard is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of François Duchesne, 56, and Suzanne Clermont, 61, on October 31, 2020.

He is also charged with five counts of attempted murder in the attack in the historic Old Quebec area of the city. Girouard, 26, admitted to using the sword in the killing and mutilation that night, but stated he was not criminally responsible because he was suffering from a mental disorder.

Defense lawyer Pierre Gagnon insists on the report of Dr. Gilles Chamberland, who concluded after evaluating Girouard that the accused suffers from dissociation and psychotic delirium.

Gagnon highlights the psychiatrist's career and urges the jurors to consider the witness's experience during their deliberations.

The defense lawyer also challenges the findings of the prosecution's psychiatrist, Dr. Sylvain Faucher, who concluded that Girouard was not psychotic but was suffering from narcissistic personality disorder.

The crown argued that Girouard’s actions were premeditated and that he knew right from wrong during the attacks.