Dugard kidnap suspect is not fit for trial, says lawyer

THE US man charged with kidnapping and raping long- time captive Jaycee Dugard has “a serious mental illness” and “may not be competent to be a defendant,” his defence lawyer said in court papers.

Susan Gellman, a deputy public defender in El Dorado County, California, offered the blunt assessment of Phillip Garrido’s fitness to stand trial while disputing assertions by prosecutors that she should be prohibited from trying to contact Dugard because Garrido is using her to manipulate his rescued captive.

“The district attorney is making the very same mistake that parole authorities made concerning Mr Garrido for many years,” Gellman wrote, arguing that Garrido’s actions aren’t evidence of manipulation.