Edward Mason entered a Whitehorse courtroom Monday afternoon wearing a white dress shirt and black pants, no longer required to dress in faded red jail clothing.

Last Wednesday, Yukon Supreme Court found Mason, 64, not criminally responsible for the shooting death of Germain Gaulin, 43, in April 2004 near Watson Lake.

Consequently, Mason is no longer a charge of the criminal justice system. He became, rather, a patient of the medical system and a charge of certain social services.

On Monday afternoon, Mason was officially released from the Whitehorse Correctional Centre in a hearing before Deputy Justice Rene Foisy, visiting from Alberta.

Diagnosed with alcohol-induced psychotic disorder with hallucinations, Mason will receive treatment rather than punishment, which his Whitehorse lawyer, Gordon Coffin, described as 'the right decision.'

The Yukon Review Board, an independent panel that decides on the living arrangements and rules for people found not criminally accountable or unfit to stand trial, has to meet within 45 days to decide on Mason's case.

A date is tentatively set for Sept. 1.

Until that time, Mason will be staying at the Yukon Adult Resource Centre off the Alaska Highway in Hillcrest. The centre has agreed to his residency there.

Coffin explained that one condition of Mason's stay is not leaving the premises without written permission from his bail supervisor.

Foisy amended the condition to say Mason also needs an escort when leaving the grounds.

Mason is also prohibited from consuming alcohol and drugs, frequenting bars, taverns and liquor stores, and from possessing firearms and explosives.

As part of his release, the court ordered he must also attend treatment for both his mental health issues and his alcoholism.

Foisy said it's crucial to help Mason to abstain from alcohol completely.

Last week, Mason was before the court for the murder of Gaulin on April 20, 2004 in a cabin outside of Watson Lake.

The two men had been drinking with a friend when Mason hallucinated and thought Gaulin was running at him with a knife yelling, 'I'm going to carve you an asshole!' according to testimony given last week by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Shabehram Lorasbe.

Mason grabbed his gun and shot Gaulin twice in the chest. Some time shortly afterward, he proceeded to mutilate the body with stab wounds and by cutting off a piece of Gaulin's ear and placing it on his back.

Mason told the RCMP at the time, 'He went for the knife and I went for the gun, and the gun won.'

Mason plead not guilty under the defence of mental disorder.

Foisy ruled in his favour during last week's trial. He said Mason was not criminally accountable for Gaulin's death as he was experiencing an episode of alcohol-induced psychosis at the time of the shooting.

After Foisy had delivered his decision last Wednesday afternoon, Crown prosecutor David McWhinnie said that appealing a ruling required careful thought.

The Crown has up to 30 days to file an appeal.