SASKATOON -- A murder trial took a turn on Wednesday with a psychiatrist testifying the killing was fuelled by the couple’s relationship issues.

Blake Schreiner testified he heard voices telling him to kill his partner Tammy Brown on Jan. 29, 2019.

But psychiatrist Olajide Adelugba, a Crown-called witness, disputed Schreiner’s testimony.

“I asked him whether he was hearing voices at that time, and he said no,” Adelugba testified, referencing his assessments with Schreiner in March at Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford.

“He wanted to do it and he acted on it.”

Adelugba said Schreiner told him the couple was going through relationship difficulties and considered separating.

The psychiatrist said Schreiner feared Brown would take their two kids and believed “if he couldn’t be part of the children’s lives, then she couldn’t either.”

“He thought of killing her for 15 minutes and went ahead with it,” Adelugba told court.

Brown was found with 80 stab wounds all over her body.

Schreiner testified he believed Brown was trying to kill him, or frame him for pedophilia.

“He never told me he thought Tammy was trying to kill him,” Adelugba said.

The Crown asked the witness what factors were at play the night of the killing.

“His thoughts of separation, marital difficulties” and thoughts his spouse would take their kids, Adelugba responded.

Earlier this week, psychiatrist Mansfield Mela testified he diagnosed Schreiner with a schizophrenia-type of personality disorder.

Adelugba disagreed with that diagnosis.

“He doesn’t have schizotypal personality disorder. That’s my conclusion,” Adelugba told court. He said Schreiner didn’t meet the criteria of a psychotic disorder.

Adelugba diagnosed Schreiner with alcohol-induced mood disorder, cannabis use disorder and anxiety-induced panic attacks.

According to Adelugba’s assessment, Schreiner did not have any delusions at the time of the killing.

The accused has altered his story about Brown’s death five times, the Crown told court.

Schreiner initially told a 911 operator someone broke in and killed Brown.

He later told police he killed Brown because Brown was going to make him out to be a pedophile.

Schreiner told Adelugba child custody disputes led to the killing.

In his first interview with Mela he said he was under the influence of magic mushrooms the night of the death.

In his second interview with Mela, he said he was sober the evening of the killing.

The Crown is arguing Schreiner planned Brown’s murder, while the defence is trying to establish Schreiner’s mental state rendered him incapable to appreciate his actions.

The trial is scheduled to continue all week.