Accused in northern Ont. sword attack inches closer to trial

Philip Gagnon, accused of hitting his 16-year-old girlfriend with a car and attacking her with a sword in Cobalt, Ont., last November, will stand trial.

The person charged with attempted murder in an attack last November in Cobalt, Ont., indicated Tuesday he won’t be pleading out and wants a trial.

Philip Gagnon was 18 when he was charged with attacking his former girlfriend, 16-year-old Kaylie Smith, after she got off a bus in Cobalt around 6 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2024.

Gagnon is accused of hitting her with his vehicle before attacking her with a sword and severing her left hand.

He is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, weapons possession and breaching his conditional sentence.

Appearing from Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene, Gagnon was dressed in orange prison garb and had short, dark brown hair.

He’s represented by North Bay law firm Perrin Ahmad LLP. Defence lawyer Evan Kilroy told Justice G.R. Maille that he was surprised by comments from the Crown that it was eager to set trial dates.

Changed tracks

Kilroy said the Crown said they weren’t ready to set a date when asked by the defence for trial dates in June.

However, Assistant Crown attorney David Kirk said they were under the impression that “they were headed for a resolution” to the case, not a full-blown trial.

That’s something more complicated, Kirk said, and requires several more dates.

“This was originally on the resolution track,” he said.

If there is going to be a trial, Kirk said a judicial pretrial will need to be held before trial dates can be set.

The sides agreed to an Aug. 1 pretrial and will return to court Aug. 19 with the goal of setting trial dates.

Before then, Maille advised the Crown and defence to provide dates when they are available for a trial, and for the defence to provide an estimate on how many days will be required.