Case of Toronto van attack suspect Alek Minassian will go directly to trial
Posted November 1, 2018 4:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The case of a man accused in a deadly van attack in north Toronto that left 10 people dead will go directly to trial.
On Thursday, the Crown said the Deputy Attorney General has agreed to a direct indictment, meaning no preliminary inquiry will take place. The next hearing is scheduled for December 4th.
Alek Minassian, 25, of Richmond Hill, faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 of attempted murder after he allegedly drove a white rental van down a crowded sidewalk on April 23.
He did not appear in court on Thursday in person or via video, but was represented by his lawyer, Boris Bytensky, who said the trial may not start for 10 to 15 months.
A Toronto police officer arrested Minassian just minutes after the attack. The arrest was caught on video by passersby and shared widely on social media.
Police have previously said they haven’t identified a motive for the attack, but that the evidence they had didn’t warrant terrorism charges.
Minassian’s family has said they grieve for the victims of the attack.
