The man accused of having tried to kill a Montreal police officer last winter in the Camara case, then of having murdered a fellow inmate, is not not criminally responsible because of mental disorder, according to psychiatrists. His fitness to stand trial, however, remains to be determined.
Due to his dangerousness, Ali Ngarukiye was not present Thursday morning at the Montreal courthouse. “He is aggressive and represents a threat to everyone’s safety,” said Judge André Perreault.
To bring him in person before the judge, his convoy should have been escorted by the “SWAT team”, that is, the Tactical Intervention Group of the Montreal police, according to the judge. Last summer, Ali Ngarukiye was subjected to draconian security measures at Rivière-des-Prairies prison. Measures reserved for prisoners who present a high risk of aggression.
The findings of the voluminous 35-page psychiatric report to determine Ali Ngarukiye’s criminal responsibility were first discussed on Thursday. Crown Attorney Me Louis Bouthillier, indicated that the accused had been found “criminally responsible” at the time of the crimes.
The accused’s lawyer is now requesting a new psychiatric assessment to determine whether the 22-year-old is fit for trial. “It is important to ensure that he is fit to appear,” said Me Lloyd Fischler. The case returns to the judge on November 29.
Ali Ngarukiye is accused of having tried to kill the policeman Sanjay Vig in the Parc-Extension district. The case made headlines last winter, when an unblemished citizen, Mamadi Camara, was unfairly accused of the crime. Victim of an error on the person, he was finally released six days later and cleared on the whole line by the police department.
Two months later, Ali Ngarukiye was arrested in Toronto for this crime. While in preventive detention, he allegedly murdered his roommate André Lapierre. The latter was found dead in the cell he shared with Ali Ngarukiye. He therefore faces a charge of murder and contempt of a corpse.