Maygan Sensenberger, wife of Senator Rod Zimmer, had been behaving unpredictably in the lead-up to the in-flight incident that resulted in her arrest.
In a report from iPolitics, a source who knows the pair said Sensenberger had been "erratic" over the last few weeks.
UPDATE: A judge has loosened the restrictions on Sensenberger, allowing her to speak with Zimmer on the phone or through the Internet. The case will be back in court Sept. 18.
The source also addresses questions about how old Senseberger, now 23, was when she began dating the much older senator. Her grandmother, Rita Sensenberger, told the press the couple kept their relationship a secret until Maygan turned 21. You can read the full iPolitics story here.
SEE PHOTOS OF THE COUPLE
There have been other hints that Sensenberger, as well have Zimmer, have been under strain recently that has resulted in odd behaviour.
A source told the The Winnipeg Free Press that Zimmer's recent bout with cancer may have affected his judgment.
"He's had a brush with death and I think his judgment is not what it used to be. This is an unfortunate chapter in his life and it's probably not going to end well."
In 2010, Zimmer revealed to the Senate that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer seven years earlier and given a 20 per cent chance of survival.
Zimmer's illness seemed to weigh heavily on Sensenberger's mind despite the fact that their relationship must have started well after his diagnosis.
Zimmer's health figures prominently in a new, and more detailed account, of the incident that led to Sensenberger being charged with causing a disturbance and uttering a death threat.
The Star Phoenix in Saskatoon, where the court proceedings are unfolding, quoted a passenger on the flight describing Sensenberger's behaviour on the plane as "completely delusional."
"She wasn't of right mind," the passenger said.
The story also includes the revelation that an off-duty police officer who asked if he could help during the incident was seated across the aisle from Sensenberger, a move which failed to calm her.
While the passenger does say Sensenberger was distraught about her husband's health, the witness also told the Phoenix that the senator's wife said multiple times that she did not want to meet Zimmer's family.
There have been numerous reports in the press that Zimmer's family was not pleased about his marriage to the much younger Sensenberger and that they chose not to attend the wedding.
However, despite asking a judge to change the conditions of her release so she could stay at a hotel rather than at the home of Zimmer's brother near Saskatoon, she was pictured leaving court on Wednesday arm-in-arm with that same brother (you can see the picture in the slideshow below).
Sensenberger may have been in good spirits, as the court had just eased the order for her to have no contact with her husband, allowing for her to speak with him over the phone or Internet. Sensenberger has also been ordered not to drink alcohol and to stay out of bars (the incident on the plane was allegedly related to drinking).
The case has been adjourned until Sept. 18 when it is expected Sensenberger will enter a plea, but it seems likely more details about the union of the 69-year-old senator and the 23-year-old blond will emerge long before then.
With files from The Canadian Press
PHOTOS
