The mental state of the man accused in connection with a bloody knife attack in the Longueuil courthouse will be evaluated.
The case of Alexandre Garcés, 44, was back in court Wednesday morning, in the same place where a court interpreter, Hai Thach, was stabbed earlier this month.
The accused faces charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of weapons.
Alexandre Garcés, accused.
Photo taken from the Facebook account of Alexandre Garcés
After speaking with Garcés’s treatment team, the latter’s lawyer, Ms.e Anne-Sophie Dagenais, requested that her mental state be evaluated. An order was thus issued by Judge Marc-Antoine Carette, aimed at determining whether the accused suffered from mental disorders such as not to incur criminal liability at the time of the crime.
He is due back in court next month.
Furthermore, the Crown in the case was first represented by Mr.e Virginie Leblond, from the office of the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions of Longueuil. A prosecutor from the Serious Crime and Special Affairs Bureau, Ms.e Justine Allison Blair, now leads this cause.
More security
The attack on January 9 caused panic at the courthouse. The victim had been savagely stabbed several times in a cubicle. Seriously injured, the 68-year-old court interpreter took refuge in a bathroom, before being rescued by special constables.
The accused was then arrested on the spot. He had nothing to do at the courthouse at the time of the tragedy. He would have wanted to attack a person representing the judicial system, we learned.
This attack also brought the issue of security in courthouses back into the news. Several stakeholders in the legal sector, including judges, have asked Quebec to install security arches at the entrance to courthouses.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
Since last week, more serious searches have been carried out in Longueuil, but also in Laval and Saint-Jérôme.
Constables pass a metal detector stick on each individual who enters the building. A search of their personal effects is also carried out.