PSYCOLOGICAL REPORT
I. IDENTIFICATION
Name: Brenton Hugo Johnson
Birthdate: June 1, 1949
Age: 74
Nationality: Canadian
Status: Divorced
Profession: Marketing Management Technician
II. METHOD OF EVALUATION
The present psychological evaluation of Mr. Brenton Hugo Johnson consists of the execution of an individual psychological examination semi-structured in depth, performed in 4 sessions with a duration of 60 minutes each in online mode. These were held on July 20,25, 26 and 27, 2023. This evaluation process aims to know the evaluated in his behavioral, emotional, cognitive and socio-affective dimensions. Along with this , it seeks to know the correlation between the events experienced, the matter of the lawsuit, and possible changes of psychological order in the evaluated, in addition to observing the way in which he constructs his story, the analogical behavior and the emotional correlate that accompanies said narration. Along with this, an interview with the defendant was incorporated in order to provide contextual information regarding the facts of the case.
It should be noted that in order to mitigate possible difficulties and/or interferences in the process of carrying out the expert interviews, the interviewee and his lawyer were sent some conditions to ensure that the online interview process was carried out in the best conditions. These include the following:
- Ensure being in a quiet place that guarantees privacy and absence of interruptions; room, desk or inside a car.
- Try to reduce environmental noise as much as possible and have good lighting.
- Check that the phone or PC has a charged battery or is connected so that it does not fail during the interview.
- If you use a phone, keep it supported by something so that you can have your hands free and that the image manages to capture your face, part of the torso and arms if possible.
- Use headphones with microphone.
- Check that the internet connection is stable.
III. RELEVANT BACKGROUND
Mr. Brenton Hugo Johnson, already named, was born in Vancouver, Canada and is the eldest of 6 children of the marriage between his parents. His father, a lawyer by profession and later a judge, his mother, a housewife and later once the children were older, would operate in a call center, work that she performed before getting married. His father died of a stroke in 2008 and his mother died in April of this year as a result of a stroke. His fourth sister, the only female, died last year of cancer.
He describes his father as a man with a good sense of humor and committed to his home, he says, “he stayed home, made food and made bread … he upset me saying that I was number one …” About his mother, he describes was the best … dedicated her life to her children … had a good sense of humor…”
With his brothers, he says he had many fights as a child and got along better with the third and fourth of the brothers. He points out that his relationship with some of his brothers has been conflicted by what has happened in the operation of Mountainstar Gold after the trials. He adds that the family’s economic situation in his childhood was always stable and good. All his siblings had higher education except for his deceased sister.
He points out that as a child who did his homework at school, he got along well with his peers and teachers. He reports not having had difficulties in development or in his learning processes. He describes himself as an intelligent person, with good humor and stable spirit, without ups and downs, he jokes “… he was not Einstein, but I was doing well …” He did not have serious or chronic illnesses as a child, and the only thing he indicates, as far as his health in childhood is concerned, is to have been operated for appendicitis and having cut a ligament in his arm while riding a city bus.
Leaving school, he took a year off, then he decided to attend the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Vancouver to study Marketing Management. In this institution, he indicated that he increased his performance progressively during his 4 semesters. In 1970 he began his career in a training program for managers in a native Indian crafts shop in Canada. There, he says he quickly moved to Assistant Administrator and then to Administrator. In 1971 he worked in a retail store for general merchandise including food. There he worked as an administrator for 5 years until 1976 until 1976 he bought his own native craft shop, Tempo Crafts, which had to be sold in 1979 because the owner of the property he leased had sold the property for demolition. In parallel, in 1977, he built another store of the same category, Heritage Canada, which was retained until 1991. In 1982, he started a franchise, Gas Town, always in the field of indigenous native crafts and maintained this until 1995. Between 1987 and 1989 he bought another store in an airport mall, which ended in a lawsuit because the mall manager did not fulfill his part of the agreement.
This is how until 1995, he remained in the field of retail of indigenous crafts. In 1985, he bought 10,000 shares (equivalent to 15% of the total shares) in Mountain West Resources, a company that was dedicated to the purchase of mining properties, mainly in North America. In 1995, he was named CEO of the Company and in 2012, the company changed its name to Mountainstar Gold. As CEO of the company, he signed a Joint Venture with Mr. Lopehandia, he indicates “… he showed us the papers that said he was the owner of that land and the ownership documents … at that date, we didn’t know we were getting into a big battle …” He then describes the trials carried out in Chile to determine the ownership of the land in Pascua Lama and the lawsuits brought in Canada against him by the British Columbia Security Commission, an organization that fined him, $150.000 CAD (94.7 million Chilean pesos) to date, he says, unpaid on his part.
In 1972, at the age of 23, he married Adele, a schoolmate. At that time, he became independent of his parents, with whom he had lived until that time. He was married to her for 6 years. He indicates that the wanted to have children and she did not. In 1978, after several insistences on his part to have children, she moved to Montreal for a new job.
In 1981, he married Janet, a housewife and cosmetics saleswoman. With her he has 2 children, Christopher Hugo, currently 38 years old, and Ryan Nicholas, who died in 2013, at the age of 26 as a result of a genetic problem that was not diagnosed in time. He indicates that in 1998, he divorced his second wife, leaving him in charge of his youngest son and Janet in charge of Christopher in Seattle, where she moved. For a year they were traveling so that each one could be with the children. About this time, he indicates, … “I took Ryan to school every day … I remember the bad mood with which they came back from Seatlle ….” In 2000, Christopher returned to live with his father and brother, because Janet’s new partner did not want children at home.
Mr. Brenton currently lives with his eldest son, who has never married and has no children. He had to move in with him in 2022 to an underground apartment that they rent together. This year, he describes as one of the most difficult because of these changes.
IV. RESULTS
Mr. Brenton presents an appearance and dress according to his chronological age, age group and socioeconomic level. Mr. Brenton did not show up for the first summons for an expert interview because he had technical problems connecting and sent corresponding excuses. He was 15 minutes late for the second session, so the session had to be cancelled. He arrived to the four subsequent summons at the agreed time. Throughout the process he maintained a cooperative attitude – adequate and favorable to the expert process. From what can be perceived on the screen, it can be seen that he manages to make adequate use of the physical space.
In respect to his functioning and level of cognitive development, thought and language, it is possible to point out that Mr. Brenton functions at a level of development corresponding to abstract formal operations which is inferred from the use of abstract concepts. In this sense, his ability to operate with ideas is appreciated, managing to infer, deduce, analyze, synthesize and perform other mental operations with abstract concepts. There is a tendency to pragmatism and to operate in the world in an executive and practical way. Although his school performance was never outstanding, he managed to pass his levels without major difficulties. There are no alterations of speech, coherence and logical reasoning, not in the speed of thought. He is able to express his ideas clearly, effectively, coherently and consistently. There is a speech that tends to go to the point in a synthetic, precise and effective way. This is detrimental to the ability to deepen some reflections that, for example, allow deepening emotional contact, which is explained in part by his pragmatism. An adequate use of language is appreciated, with a high level of understanding and adequate use of vocabulary. The interviewee highlights the development that presents in his episodic memory. There is a certain tendency to extreme thinking in a polar way, dividing the world into black and white, or good and bad, he points out for example, “Chile, they are good … Canada, they are bad …” This sometimes does not allow him to show nuances or internal tonalities and his environment, although on the other hand, it facilitates and speeds up his decision making. Despite this, this aspect does not contribute to regulating the process of articulation of information for a decision making that incorporates various element of reality, broadening his view and the spectrum of possible responses. There are no alterations in cognitive processes such at attention, concentration, memory or thinking, nor is there consistent symptomatology for the diagnosis of any pathology in this dimension.
In the emotional field, it can be seen in the interviewee a stable mood that allows him to regulate and keep his emotions under effective control in different areas of his life. In this way, it is possible to specify that there is evidence of an adequate ability to contact and express his emotions. Throughout the interview, he manifested different emotional states, such as anger, grief, joy and love, manifesting a coherence in the cognitive content, such as bodily/non-verbal. There is no predominance of any particular emotion, nor deregulation in this dimension. In this sense, there are no emotions that disrupt or deregulate behavior. He is able to emotional contact with others and understand their emotional states, this accounts for a high level of empathy. He manifests a high sense of humor, making jokes appropriate to the context, being also able to laugh at himself. It should be noted at this point, that this emerges as a fundamental tool for well-being, resilience and quality of life. In this dimension, no alterations or significant symptoms are appreciated to classify any pathology in this line.
As for the psychosocial, the interviewee manages to establish an adequate climate that facilitates the processes of bonding. He refers to maintaining meaningful relationships with his son, one of his brothers, some friends of co-workers, and a classmate from high school. Currently, he refers to not having a partner, which is not within the plan, as he points out, it should be added that Mr. Brenton is undergoing maternal mourning, the mourning of his sister and a loss of external objects such as the reduction of economic income that he has lived the last years. He indicates of this aspect, “… Mountainstar owes me $1.7 million CAD …” He explains that it is due to the reduction of his salary in order to be able to face the expenses of the trials. It should be noted that none of these losses manifests a sign of pathological mourning and/or high risk.
The interviewee does not currently report sleep disorders except for an early awakening of, on average, one hour and a half. Although it presents interruption of sleep, this is explained by the need to go to the bathroom. He adds that during the past year he experiences joint pains upon waking, which subsided after increasing water intake.
In relation to his diet, he refers to an adequate and healthy eating behavior for his age. He does not mention alterations in appetite, except for a period of time during 2022, a period in which he moved with his don Christopher to the place they currently lease as their home. In that period, he says he had a reduction of appetite, which led him to lose about 4.5 kilos. Currently he does not report alterations in his appetite, nor intake, on the contrary, he describes an adequate diet for his age. He currently weights around 77 kilos and measures 1.73 meters.
The interviewee refers to moderate alcohol consumption before the pandemic, after encounters with friends watching hockey games. He clarifies having had exploratory marijuana use 2 or 3 times during his adolescence. Mr. Brenton does not report a history of mental illness in his family, except for the accident of his second brother who, as a result of a fall from a ladder, was left with an injury of a lesion in the frontal lobe. There are no elements of suicidal ideation in his speech, nor of previous attempts. The subject also does not refer to previous psychological or psychiatric treatments, except for some sessions he had with a counselor after his second divorce.
Regarding his self-image and perception of his past and current context, the interviewee repeatedly defined himself “…as an entrepreneur who cannot work …” Describe your adolescence, “... a counselor read me my IQ report and told me that I should be a lawyer, but 4 years did no appeal to me, many of them do not earn good money … I wanted to go out to work and earn money … I was an entrepreneur … I decided to go to the institute instead of university …” As a young man, he defines himself as a shy person and “… worried about what others thought of him … He continues, “… until 2009 my life was good … I received a check every month for the gold we produced … Currently my retirement is not enough to pay half of the rent … my son is working … he helps (referring to the payment of the rent) … my mother also did it too (before she passed away) … I can’t even invite a woman to a restaurant … restricts me … “He adds about his current description, “I do the right thing… I know I’m not perfect…”
On the facts under investigation, Mr. Brenton indicates that the BCSC initiated an investigation against Mountainstar Gold for its operation to attract investors. For this, the interviewee indicates that the BCSC hired the lawyer Felipe Ossa as an expert lawyer in mining. He goes on to point out that Mr. Ossa did not have the expertise indicated. On the impact of the facts under investigation, he mentions “I was deposed by Claro & Co… The BCSC has done something despicable to him (Jorge Lopehandia), just as they have done to me … It has been humiliating … Some people believe that if I were fined then it is because I must have done something … Some think that I’m a thief … It’s humiliating … some friends has turned around to see me at the supermarket … In 2013 I received a standing ovation at the last annual shareholders meeting … my social image has been damaged …” Regarding the non-payment of the fine levied by the BCSC, he describes, “… it has had a devastating effect … if we do not start Mountainstar Gold again, they have no way to pay me, or the shareholders … They are going to take away my driver’s license, I cannot own shares, or participate or hold positions in any other company … There are very few jobs I can access …” To the question of what has affected him most, he answers “… not receiving my salary … It is so humiliating not to be able to pay my rent …” He ends by saying “… above all I am a happy person …”
V. CONCLUSIONS
- Mr. Brenton Hugo Johnson does not present indicators for the diagnosis of any pathology in the field of mental health, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V).
- Based on the results obtained during the evaluation process, it is possible to conclude the presence of clinical indicators that account for a break in the vital continuum of Mr. Brent Hugo Johnson, his sense of identity and self-image, which have altered the normal functioning of his life, affecting his interpersonal relationship at the family and social level. This breakdown is mainly linked to the consequences generated from the loss of his economic level and the damage to his public image and self-image as a result of the BCSC ruling.
That is all I report.
Mauricio Yanquez Lorca
Clinical Psychologist