A Whitehorse man claims he stole a pickup truck to save himself from people he thought were chasing him, territorial court heard Tuesday.

Phillip McLeod, 30, testified someone spiked a soft drink he had consumed the night before he stole Norman Goodman's truck in Porter Creek, causing him to experience severe hallucinations.

McLeod is currently in custody.

The incident occurred at approximately 6 a.m. on Oct. 8.

Goodman, co-owner of Goody's Gas Convenience Store and Laundromat, had left his truck running to warm it up when he saw McLeod get inside, lock the doors, and drive in a southerly direction on the Alaska Highway.

Goodman immediately called the RCMP and a chase ensued, ending in the McIntyre subdivision where McLeod abandoned the vehicle.

RCMP Cpl. Mark Groves followed McLeod and Tasered him at the scene.

Groves testified that McLeod had approached him from behind a parked car with his hands clasped in front of him as if he was holding a gun, and threatened to kill him.

Groves arrested and handcuffed McLeod. Once the accused was in the back of the police car, Groves asked him what he was doing and said he could have gotten himself killed.

Groves testified that McLeod said, 'Why didn't you shoot me? I just wanted to die.'

A second RCMP officer, Const. Dane McCarthy, who had just finished his night shift and was off-duty, also followed McLeod and the police car in case his assistance was needed.

McCarthy was able to climb inside the pickup truck, which was still moving, and put the transmission in 'Park' after McLeod abandoned the vehicle but left it running.

Groves said he didn't notice the smell of alcohol nor anything else that would indicate McLeod was impaired at the time of the incident.

Goodman's pickup truck was returned to him within an hour of the theft. On the witness stand, Goodman said he was 'more than pleased' with the RCMP's handling of the matter.

During his testimony, McLeod said he was fearful for his life that morning because of people he thought were 'coming after him.'

He said he stole the pickup truck to get away from them.

McLeod testified he had been at a party earlier, until 3 a.m. or 4 a.m.

When he left, he was feeling 'paranoid (and) seeing shadows in the bushes.'

When he went home, he said he was hearing voices and saw people in the trees across the street from his house.

As he was standing outside having a cigarette, he said he sighted residents of his neighbourhood holding members of his family captive, and that he watched his baby niece get shot in the head and his uncle's arm get broken.

McLeod testified that the people were taunting him to come across the street.

However, McLeod added that when one of his cousins walked past him as he was standing there, she said there was nobody there.

McLeod said he thought he was being chased by his brother and a friend when he got into Goodman's truck 'to be safe and go home.'

He said he continued to hallucinate even after he was put in a jail cell.

The accused said he has taken drugs such as LSD, heroin, crack cocaine and powder cocaine, and has sniffed gas in the past, but has never hallucinated like he said he did on Oct. 8.

McLeod added that he is 'very thankful the officers only Tasered me and didn't shoot me.'

Crown prosecutor Noel Sinclair characterized McLeod's experience as 'very, very unusual' and expressed his wish for a psychiatric assessment of McLeod before proceeding with his cross-examination.

Defence lawyer Gord Coffin said McLeod's actions could be considered non-criminal if proven that he was suffering from a 'mistaken belief in facts.'

Deputy judge Cunliffe Barnett's decision is pending, following the conclusion of the trial, which was scheduled to continue this afternoon.