Suspected killer’s mental capacity in question

William Ian Rivers

(CNS): William Ian Rivers (39), who was charged with murder last year, may not be fit to stand trial. Rivers is accused of shooting and killing a man at a West Bay restaurant, after which he barricaded himself in his family’s home and engaged in a stand-off with police. He has denied murdering Mark Travis “Hubba” Seymour outside Super C’s in a jealousy-fuelled dispute, but a psychiatric report sought by his defence team found that Rivers may not have the capacity to understand his situation. The crown is now seeking its own report before a decision is made about his ability to stand trial.

Rivers has been on remand since his arrest and was due to stand trial in August but the case was postponed as a result of the need for a psychiatric examination.

When he appeared in court Friday via video link for an update on the status of his case, he told the judge he did not understand what was happening and believed he was being railroaded by government and his attorneys, but he had been told he could not change them. The court also heard that the prison has reported incidents of Rivers’ “bizarre behaviour”.

He was remanded in custody again until May to provide the director of public prosecutions time to acquire another psych report before a decision can be made regarding Rivers’ circumstances.

The West Bay man was said to have gunned down Seymour in front of several witnesses on the afternoon of Saturday, 28 January 2017, in a row over a woman. Following the shooting, Rivers was said to have fled from the bar across the street to his family home, where, armed with the gun, he held family members hostage and barricaded himself in. He has also been accused of firing at RCIPS officers who were called to the scene when they were attending to his victim.

Rivers and police engaged in a more than three-hour stand-off before he was talked down by a local senior police officer and taken into custody.