Woman accused in Shoppers Drug Mart fatal stabbing ordered to undergo more treatment
CBC News | Posted: February 9, 2018 7:11 PM | Last Updated: February 9, 2018
Court heard that Rohinie Bisesar, charged in the death of Rosemarie Junor, is making 'some progress'
A woman charged in the stabbing death of a 28-year-old woman in a downtown Toronto Shoppers Drug Mart has been ordered to undergo another 60 days of treatment at a mental health facility.
Rohinie Bisesar, 43, who appeared in a Toronto court on Friday, is charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of Rosemarie Junor. Junor, a newlywed, was fatally stabbed in December 2015 while she was in the pharmacy at Bay and Wellington Streets in Toronto's underground PATH network of shops. She died in hospital.
Justice John McMahon of Ontario's Superior Court of Justice ordered additional treatment for Bisesar at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Bisesar has completed 60 days of treatment at CAMH already.
Robert Karrass, lawyer for Bisesar, said there has been "some progress" in her mental state, according to a report from CAMH, but he said she still denies that anyone was killed.
Karrass said a new report will have to be done, following her additional treatment, to determine whether she will be fit to stand trial.
Declared unfit to stand trial last year
Last year, a psychiatric assessment concluded that she was unfit to stand trial for the murder, but her lawyer argued on Friday that her mental state may improve with treatment.
According to the court, it will be determined whether she is fit to stand trial after the additional treatment and another report from her psychiatrist.
Last year, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Ian Swayze testified that Bisesar has a mental illness consistent with schizophrenia and experiences delusions, auditory hallucinations, disordered thoughts and paranoia.
Because of her condition, Bisesar could not effectively conduct her own defence or instruct defence counsel, Swayze has told the court.
Fitness requires that a person be able to instruct their lawyer, understand why they're in court and who the major players are, including the judge and prosecutor.
At the time of the fatal stabbing, on Dec. 11, 2015, Toronto police said the two women did not know each other. Police said the stabbing was unprovoked.
Her lawyer said currently her trial date is set for late October.