The only change I would make there is the "to" in "to distract". On the basis of his behaviour in courts, I recon there's a common cause for performative behav

The only change I would make there is the "to" in "to distract". On the basis of his behaviour in courts, I recon there's a common cause for performative behaviour and him being a convicted criminal, rather than it being an instrumental behaviour intended to distract. He doesn't behave as if he has a mental model for the difference between "I did a bad thing and should be ashamed" vs. "I am having power struggle and must fight dirty", nor any concept of a lie beyond observing that "liar" is an insult. This isn't really an improvement, and other people may be playing him in this way for their own power games.