B.C. judge stays charges against soldier suffering from PTSD

B.C. judge stays charges against soldier suffering from PTSD


By Jennifer Saltman, Postmedia News


VANCOUVER — A former soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder will avoid spending as much as three years in jail after a B.C. judge stayed weapons charges against the Afghanistan war veteran Friday.

Yan Joseph Marcel Berube, a former corporal with Princess Patricia's Light Infantry, was charged with uttering threats and weapons-related charges in connection with two incidents in May 2010 after his military medals were reportedly stolen.

In one incident, a man called the RCMP to report that Berube had threatened to kill him and made threats against his family over the loss of his medals. One day later, police heard from a psychologist who was working with Berube after a Veterans Affairs nurse went to the man's home and found him with a gun, as he talked about shooting himself.

When police arrived at Berube's home, he surrendered.

Berube suffers from PTSD, likely because of a 2002 friendly fire incident that saw four Canadian soldiers killed, including Berube's best friend, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer.



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B.C. judge stays charges against soldier suffering from PTSD