A man charged with the triple murder at Tantalus Lookout does not think he's mentally ill but believes he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the slayings last year and should be acquitted by reason of insanity, a psychologist testified yesterday.

Adam Mau-Goffredo actually suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and has a history in prison that shows he refused to shower from February to May 16 and that he can be "quite psychotic" at times, court-appointed psychologist Olaf Gitter said.

Nonetheless, Mau-Goffredo "wanted to be found fit" to stand trial, Gitter said.

Gitter is the first witness in what could be the start of a lengthy court battle of experts over whether Mau-Goffredo is mentally competent to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder, robbery and other felony counts.

He is accused of shooting a taxi driver and two bystanders at the scenic lookout, then invading a nearby home and robbing the residents on the night of July 6, 2006.

Gitter is one of three court-appointed experts who unanimously found that Mau-Goffredo is able to understand the court proceedings and assist in his defense, the test of whether a defendant is fit to stand trial. But Mau-Goffredo's attorney, Brook Hart, is contesting the finding that his client can assist in the defense.

If Mau-Goffredo is declared fit, a trial date will be set on the charges, including the first-degree murder count that carries a mandatory life term without parole. Mau-Goffredo would undergo a second examination by court-appointed experts to determine if he was legally insane at the time of the offenses.

If he is deemed unfit, he would be held in custody until he is deemed mentally competent to stand trial.

Mau-Goffredo, 24, shackled at his wrists and ankles, sat through the proceedings yesterday without addressing the court.

Gitter testified that he found Mau-Goffredo fit to stand trial when the psychologist examined him on June 6.

When asked whether he would still hold that opinion if Mau-Goffredo refused requests to talk to his lawyers and refused to undergo tests related to the insanity defense, Gitter said it would depend on the reasons for the refusal.

Mau-Goffredo's defense team has hired two Mainland mental health experts: a neuropsychologist and a psychiatrist.

Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario will schedule another hearing later to hear testimony from the two other court-appointed experts.

The judge said he also wants the prosecution and the defense to research whether Hart can call his experts to testify at the fitness hearings and if so, whether the prosecution can also call its own experts.

Because the deadline for the final legal briefs is July 13, the hearings in the case will likely resume after that date.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com.