Lecturer’s killer blames childhood trauma

A POLISH man was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder when he killed a retired university lecturer in his home, a court heard yesterday.

Pawel Rodak, 21, was due to stand trial for the murder of retired statistician, Roger Gray, 64, at the High Court in Livingston, but the case was adjourned to allow the Crown to investigate his mental state at the time of the attack.

A defence psychiatric report found that Rodak suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from treatment he received as a child in Poland when he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Rodak has admitted the culpable homicide of the former Heriot-Watt University lecturer at his home in Merchiston, Edinburgh, in March. The Crown rejected the plea.

Yesterday, Rodak’s counsel, David Burns QC, said there had been developments after a meeting earlier in the week between Rodak and a psychiatrist brought in by the defence.

“There has been further information in relation to apparent treatment he received in Poland as a child and teenager and resulted in a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. That and other information has caused the psychiatrist to review his diagnosis from earlier this year, and led him to be of the view that Mr Rodak had, and had at the time in March, post-traumatic stress disorder,” Mr Burns told the court.

He said that he had informed the Crown of these findings, and the information was passed on to Dr John Crichton, consultant forensic psychiatrist at the Orchard Clinic, Royal Edinburgh Hospital. He said the doctor, who is to be called as a Crown witness, did not “respect” the findings.

He made a motion to adjourn the trial as he thought it “crucial” to investigate the findings further, in the “interests of justice”.

Advocate depute Pino Di Emidio, prosecuting, said that in Dr Crichton’s opinion it was “very important for him to see the records which exist”.

Lord Bannatyne said: “I am satisfied that it is appropriate that this should be adjourned.” It is due to resume in the spring.

It is alleged that on 18 and 19 March at Mr Gray’s flat in Merchiston Crescent, Edinburgh, Rodak murdered the lecturer by repeatedly striking him on the head and body with knives or similar instruments.

The Polish national faces a further charge that between 18 and 24 March he attempted to defeat the ends of justice at addresses throughout the city. He is said to have turned on the gas supply within Mr Gray’s home without igniting the gas, allowing it to escape into the house.