Man accused of stabbing spree in West End appears in court
Posted February 4, 2013 2:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Wearing bandages and appearing dazed, the man linked to the random attacks of seven people at an apartment building on Barclay Street in the West End has appeared in court. A judge will hear if the accused should be cleared.
Lawyer Bob Bellows is representing 33-year-old Jerome Bonneric, who has been charged with multiple counts of assault and aggravated assault. Bellows confirms Bonneric has mental health issues, and that Crown will ask for a 30-day psych assessment to see if the accused can be cleared of criminal responsibility because of mental illness.
Bellows would only say Bonneric was despondent when the two met.
“He’s incredibly despondent, and depressed, and horribly saddened by what’s occurred,” Bellows said in a scrum of reporters. “He’ll [likely] be held for 30 days for a psychiatric assessment to determine… [if he is] not criminally responsible because of mental illness.”
“It’s way too early to make a comment in terms of the case,” Bellows adds. “It’s a very unfortunate case and he’s very despondent… about what’s occurred.”
Bellows says the bandages Bonneric wore in court are from injuries during the arrest.
Meanwhile, two victims who were attacked last week are still in the hospital. Both are women. One is in serious condition.
