The 18-year-old suspect in a recent, violent attack on a 16-year-old girl in Cobalt remains in custody at North Bay Jail, awaiting a bail hearing. This morning, approximately a dozen demonstrators gathered outside the Haileybury courthouse, where the case is being heard, demanding that Phillipe Gagnon be denied bail. The protestors, equipped with a megaphone, could be heard inside the courtroom, chanting “Common sense, no bail.” They pledged to return for the next scheduled hearing in two weeks.
The family of the victim, Kaylie Smith, continues to stay by her side in an Ottawa hospital, where she is reported to be awake and in stable condition following the attack. A vigil held Sunday evening drew over 100 community members in support of Kaylie and her family.
The incident, which occurred on November 3 at approximately 6 p.m., involved a male driver allegedly striking the young woman at the intersection of Helen Street and Prospect Avenue near Highway 11B. According to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), after exiting his vehicle, the suspect proceeded to assault the victim with a sword. Kaylie had just disembarked from a bus and was walking home after her shift at work.
A publication ban on the evidence presented in the bail hearing has been imposed.
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