Jaydn Stimson, charged with murder of SA Police officer Jason Doig, diagnosed with psychotic illness, lawyer says

The man accused of the shooting murder of police officer Jason Doig in the South-East was in the grip of an undiagnosed psychotic illness at the time, his lawyer says.

The man charged with the murder of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig has admitted to the elements of the charge but will be exploring a mental health defence.

Jaydn Stimson, 26, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday, via video link from James Nash House, where his lawyer said he’d be exploring a potential mental health defence.

Andrew Graham, for Mr Stimson, of Senior in the state’s South-East, told Magistrate Brian Nitschke his client had been diagnosed with a psychotic illness.

“In my submission it’s appropriate that that be noted,” he said.

Mr Graham asked Mr Nitschke to formalise his client’s order to remain in James Nash House.

“I remand him in custody under section 269x,” Mr Nitschke said.

“The purpose of that being to have him detained at James Nash House.”

Jaydn Stimson, 26, is charged with murdering a police officer who came to his house.

Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig was fatally shot during the confrontation.

Mr Stimson was charged with the murder of Mr Doig after a late-night shoot-out at Senior, in SA’s South-East in November last year, that also injured Sergeant Michael Hutchinson.

Mr Stimson suffered life-threatening injuries during the shooting and was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Sgt Doig, 53, has since been remembered by his colleagues as a “legendary country cop” who was “courteous to criminals that he dealt with”.

Outside court, Mr Graham said they would not be making a plea until further investigations into Mr Stimson’s mental health were complete.

“Mr Stimson has admitted the objective elements of murder with respect to the death of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig,” he said. “Mr Stimson’s been at James Nash House since January.

“He’s been diagnosed with a psychotic illness, which is likely to be schizophrenia and what’s happening is we’re investigating his mental competence to commit the offences.

“We’ve received the brief from prosecution and the psychiatrist will be examining that and we’ll go from there.

“Just because someone has a psychotic illness doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve got a mental competence defence and that’s what we need to investigate.”

Mr Graham said his client has been diagnosed with a psychotic illness, which was undiagnosed at the time of the alleged murder.

“He’s been diagnosed … but in November, when those events, occurred, that was undiagnosed,” he said.

Under state law, a person who is found not guilty of an offence by reason of mental incompetence does not serve a sentence, but a limiting term.

That term is a period under mental health supervision – to be served in detention, in the community or a mixture of both – as long as their sentence would have been were they not unwell.

For an offence of murder, the limiting term is life.

Mr Stimson will next appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court in June.

Originally published as Jaydn Stimson, charged with murder of SA Police officer Jason Doig, diagnosed with psychotic illness, lawyer says