Dakota Hart, accused of Earl Kitchener school kidnapping, gets March court date
Hart facing several charges after incident shook school community
A man charged with abducting a west Hamilton elementary school student appeared briefly in court Friday, but whether he will be held criminally responsible for his actions won't be discussed until March.
A psychiatric assessment requested as part of Dakota Hart's trial has been completed but the March court date will be the first time its findings will be discussed.
Hart, 47, will remain in custody in the forensic psychiatric department of St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton West 5th campus until then. He is facing allegations that he lured a young boy from the playground at Earl Kitchener Public School. An adult intervened and the boy was shaken but unharmed.
Hart appeared in court Friday in leg shackles, wearing an orange t-shirt with handwriting on it, a thin beard and dark hair. The details of much of Hart's case are covered by a publication ban.
The school board has since enacted a number of rules to ensure a similar incident to the one at Earl Kitchener doesn’t happen again, though parents are split on the proposed changes.
Hart will be back in court on March 5.
With files from Adam Carter and Samantha Craggs