THE Princeton grad charged with shooting his millionaire dad dead whined to a psychologist about the difficulty of getting a fair trial because of his family’s wealth and stature, according to a videotaped interview played in court Wednesday.
“Over the years from what I’ve seen, the press especially, seems to prey on wealthy, high-profile families,” Thomas Gilbert Jr whined to shrink Stuart Kirschner in the October 9 interview.
“A lot of high-profile Manhattan families tend to get more harsh, outlandish judgments,” added Gilbert Jr, who spoke calmly and clearly during the 34-minute evaluation.
The video was played at a hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court to determine whether the 31-year-old was mentally fit for trial.
Two court-appointed psychologists found Gilbert Jr too ill to proceed, but prosecutors disagreed and hired Kirschner to evaluate him.
Kirschner testified that he didn’t find any evidence of serious mental illness.
“Although there are indications in the record that Mr Gilbert has a psychiatric history, I saw absolutely no symptom of mental disorder that would impact on his ability to proceed to trial,” the doctor said.
The defence won’t have a chance to cross-examine Kirschner until November 10 when the hearing resumes.
Gilbert Jr allegedly shot his 70-year-old dad, the founder of hedge-fund Wainscott Capital, for cutting his allowance by a measly $200.
His defence lawyer Alex Spiro previously notified the court that he intended to put on a psychiatric defence.
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