Mentally ill defendant refuses to speak to court
Matthew Bridges, 35, of Lakeville Corner, faces assault, disturbance charges; judge orders him to undergo psych assessment after stubborn behaviour during remote appearances
A Lakeville Corner man who smashed an RCMP telephone last week and reportedly brought a machete to work last week has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment.
Matthew Bridges, 35, of Route 690, was arrested last week and was set to make his initial appearance in Fredericton provincial court Friday by telephone to answer to several new charges.
Duty counsel Josh Pozzolo warned Judge Cameron Gunn on Friday that the defendant was in an agitated state, and when the court’s calls to the cellblock at the RCMP detachment in Oromocto went unanswered repeatedly, the defence lawyer had an explanation.
“He may have smashed the phone,” Pozzolo said.