A YEAR ago murder accused Charles Albert was deemed unfit to face a jury trial but he appeared before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Berbice Assizes Thursday where Government Psychiatrist, Dr. Mayda Grajales disclosed that her patient appears to be normal.Consequently, Albert has pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, during his second trial, and this was accepted by Assistant Director of Prosecutions, Mrs. Judith Mursaline.

He is expected to return on March 26 for a probation report and sentencing.
Earlier, Dr. Grajales had reported that on February 6, 2014, she appeared before Justice Diana Insanally and related that she had been attending to the prison inmate over the past two to three years. During that period Albert was deemed mentally unstable.
Then the doctor was summoned to the court as a result of a motion by then State Counsel, Ms Renita Singh, who had submitted that the State was of the opinion that the accused was suffering from some defect of the mind and was unable to understand the nature of the proceedings before him, neither could he properly take instructions from his counsel, Mr Raymond Ali.
Singh noted that the perception was based on a previous trial, which was aborted during the October 2013 session, after the prisoner displayed abnormal behaviour.
Consequently, the Cuban-trained mental health practitioner, who is commonly referred to as Dr Mayada, noted that her client would be willing to take his medication, while on other occasions he was loud. His behaviour appeared to be one of delusional grandeur as he related of how much wealth he possessed.
Consequently, she opined that he did not comprehend the reason for his incarceration, and she did not believe he could understand the concept of the trial but maybe able with treatment for the next three months. Albert was then put on antipsychotic medication.
Thereafter, Justice Diane Inshanally had ordered that the prisoner be returned to the New Amsterdam prison for continuous medical treatment for three months, before being reassessed with respect to his fitness to stand a trial.
At this recent hearing, the psychiatrist said that following a visit at the New Amsterdam prison on Wednesday, the prisoner, whom she did not see for four months, immediately recognised her from a previous visit.
“He recalled where he lived, why and the cause for his imprisonment. He appeared to be normal.”
According to her, the interview was conducted in the presence of the Dr Ileena, who is assigned to the prison, along with a nurse and other prison officials.
Albert has denied a charge of murder, contrary to the common law. However, he has confessed that he unlawfully killed his daughter Reletta Onica Greaves on December 12, 2011, at Corriverton, Corentyne.