Homeless man deemed fit to stand trial

Abdusalam Zakaria, 51, accused of assault, disturbance; bail hearing now set for next week

A homeless refugee who ranted in court last month and kept calling a judge “Mom” was much calmer and composed Thursday during a hearing in which he was deemed fit to stand trial.

Abdusalam Zakaria, 51, of no fixed address, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Thursday in custody by video conference for a hearing on his mental state.

Last month, a provincial court judge ordered that he undergo psychiatric assessment to determine if he was fit to stand trial - which requires findings that he’s able to instruct counsel, that he can participate in his own defence and that he understands the court process.