Stabbing suspect to undergo psych exam
Bradley Anthony Reid, 31, was remanded Tuesday to the Restigouche Hospital Centre for assessment to determine criminal responsibility in aggravated assault case
A Fredericton man who’s been in custody since his February arrest for an alleged stabbing will undergo a psychiatric examination to determine if he might be exempt from criminal responsibility.
Bradley Anthony Reid, 31, of Douglas Avenue, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Tuesday for a hearing on his mental state.
He faces a charge of aggravated assault by wounding Wilbur Elliott in Fredericton on Feb. 21.
Reid has been in custody since that date.
Defence lawyer Ron Morris told court May 23 he was seeking to have his client assessed to determine if he might have been suffering from a mental illness at the time of the alleged offence that might exempt him from criminal responsibility.
However, the defence didn’t have evidence to form the grounds for such an order at that time, so the matter was set over to Tuesday.
Such evidence was presented during a hearing Tuesday, and Judge Natalie LeBlanc granted the order for the psychiatric assessment.
She remanded Reid to the Restigouche Hospital Centre, a secure psychiatric facility in Campbellton that carries out such forensic examinations.
Reid was arrested the same day as the alleged offence, but only after a standoff with police that lasted for several hours.
Fredericton Police Force officers, including the emergency response team and a crisis negotiator, surrounded a Hillcourt Drive home on the city’s north side the morning of Feb. 21, and issued an advisory instructing people to avoid the area.
Reid had apparently barricaded himself inside a residence at the east end of the street.
He’s scheduled to be back in court July 6 for a review of the findings of the psychiatric report.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.