Suspect in vehicle-ramming case has fitness hearing adjourned
A 21-year-old Bedford, N.S., man accused of driving a van into three other vehicles in Cape Breton last month was back in court Friday to hear the results of a 30-day psychiatric assessment, but the judge has yet to rule if he is fit to stand trial.
Daniel Keays appeared in provincial court via video conference. He's being held at the East Coast Forensic Centre in Dartmouth. Earlier this month Keays was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
RCMP allege on June 26, Keays intentionally ran into one SUV and two motorcycles in South Harbour and then narrowly missed another vehicle.
He is also accused of assaulting two bystanders who tried to help at the scene and of later assaulting police officers while in custody.
Facing 19 charges
He faces 19 charges, including attempted murder, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm, failure to stop at scene of an accident, assault causing bodily harm and assault of police officers causing bodily harm.
None of the people involved were seriously injured.
But the preliminary fitness hearing was adjourned Friday at the request of the defence and the Crown agreed.
Crown attorney Sheldon Nathanson said the report from the psychiatrist is clear.
"According to Dr. Kronfli, who is the East Coast Forensic Unit psychiatrist who was responsible for the preparation of this report, Mr. Keays was deemed to be fit to stand trial," he said.
Judge still has to rule
Despite that, Nathanson said the report went on to say the psychiatrist felt criminal responsibility was another matter.
"In the view of the psychiatrist, his opinion is that he [Keays] is exempt from criminal responsibility from the allegations of the committing of offences at that time."
Nathanson says he can't get into why the doctor made that assessment, because the matter is still before the court. The judge still has to rule on Keays fitness to stand trial.
The next court date is August 12.
