A Victoria man believed he was fleeing zombies when he stole a truck, then a canoe and tried to paddle across Portage Inlet with his hands last year.
That information was revealed during Brendan Marney’s trial in Western Communities provincial court. Marney was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and theft of a canoe on Jan. 31, 2019.
Judge Lisa Mrozinski found Marney was experiencing a severe psychotic episode at the time and did not know that what he was doing was wrong.
The judge found Marney not criminally responsible for the crimes by reason of a mental disorder. His case is now in the hands of the psychiatric review board.
The trial heard that around 9 a.m. that day Marney was seen walking on the railings of the overpass near Burnside Road and the Island Highway. At times, he closed his eyes.
When witness Nancy Sermons saw Marney, she immediately pulled her truck off to the shoulder of the road and called 911. Naval Capt. Steven Trainor also saw what was happening and pulled over. Together, they coaxed Marney off the railing. Marney told them he was not suicidal and that he was happy to be on the railing.
As they waited for police to arrive, they persuaded him to cross the road toward their cars.
When Sermons told him she had called 911, Marney bolted toward her truck, got in and sped off toward the Helmcken overpass ramp.
Marney missed a right-hand turn at the intersection and careened over several medians before crashing into a light standard.
He got out of the truck and ran off down an embankment. Police found him “paddling a canoe in circles with his hands” about 40 feet from shore in Portage Inlet.
An officer persuaded Marney to get out of the canoe and swim to shore. He was taken to Victoria General Hospital.
Marney testified that in the days leading up to Jan. 31, 2019, he had a heightened awareness of the true state of reality.
He said he realized that the entire world was fake and that it was a trap created by some unknown captors that made everything appear real even though it was not.
He was afraid his captors would turn him into a table and leave him to suffer an eternity of agonizing pain. He also believed he could change reality by closing his eyes.
Marney testified he became wary of all other persons and considered them zombies.
“He decided, though, that it was necessary for his own safety to bring one of these zombies over to his side and to awaken their power,” Mrozinski said, summarizing the evidence. “He chose one of his instructors at the University of Victoria for this mission and decided it was best to walk from his home in the Goldstream area to the university, a distance well outside any normal walking range.”
Marney also testified that he did not believe death was real.
When he was walking on the railing, he had no fear of death, he had no fear of falling and felt no compunction about walking along the highway with his eyes closed or over the overpass along the railing.
Dr. Jason Coupland, an Island Health psychiatrist, testified that he believed Marney was suffering from a severe psychotic episode. The judge agreed with him.
“As Dr. Coupland emphasized in his testimony… it is impossible to ignore the fact he was walking on top of the metal railing on the overpass, risking a fall that would either cause death or catastrophic injury,” she said.
Marney testified that he was terrified when he learned Sermons had called 911 and ran to escape.
As he left the crashed truck, Mrozinski said, Marney “closed his eyes, thinking his captors would not be able to find him.
He ran with his eyes closed, falling into a prickle bush and then into the water. He took off his coat and his pants, as they were slowing him down. He then found a canoe, jumped in, and started paddling. As he did so, he closed his eyes again, convinced that would have the effect of completely altering his circumstances.”
The Crown asked the court to reject Marney’s evidence.
The prosecutor argued that Marney’s marijuana use was likely the cause of his mental state.
Marney had suffered two prior psychotic episodes. In 2015 and 2016, while regularly using marijuana, Marney began to develop delusions about a supernatural force.
Coupland testified that he believed Marney’s marijuana consumption exacerbated an underlying health issue. He suspects Marney has schizophrenia.
Mrozinski noted that Marney’s prognosis is not good. She concluded that his mental condition continues to pose a threat.
ldickson@timescolonist.com
