HAILEYBURY — The accused charged in the attempted murder of Cobalt teen Kaylie Smith remains behind bars for at least another two weeks as attorneys prepare their respective cases.
Phillip Gagnon, 18, of Haileybury is accused of ramming Smith, his 16-year-old former girlfriend, with an SUV and attacking her with a sword on Nov. 3 in Cobalt. Gagnon has been incarcerated at the North Bay Jail since his arrest shortly after the incident. Police investigated the attack as a case of intimate partner violence.
See related: Suspect in Cobalt attack remains in jail
Smith suffered life-threatening injuries. Her left hand was completely severed and her right hand was severely damaged. She also needed 16 hours of brain surgery after suffering wounds to the back of her head. The family has requested privacy as they navigate the early stages of Kaylie's recovery.
See also: Attempted murder charge laid in Cobalt after vehicle hits 16-year-old pedestrian
North Bay attorney Andrew Perrin will lead Gagnon's defence. On Tuesday, Perrin asked Justice C. Michael Harpur via Haileybury video court for two more weeks so a pre-trial conference could be scheduled.
Crown attorneys David Kirk and Serge Hamel will team up to prosecute Gagnon in a matter that will draw significant media attention and interest from the public.
Kirk took the lead on Tuesday, stating that the initial disclosure and the screening form had been delivered to the defence. Perrin acknowledged this but then indicated he would be seeking further disclosure from the Crown.
"Given the complexity of the case — it's a major case — disclosure is coming more in the hard drive form," said Kirk. "I'm awaiting the first round of disclosure from the OPP ... I expect it to be ready soon."
Justice Harpur noted Gagnon is facing earlier, separate charges of assault and unlawful entry, in addition to a breach of a conditional sentence order charge plus the attempted murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose counts from Nov. 3.
The judge also inquired about the correct spelling of Gagnon's given name, which has appeared in court documents both as "Phillip" and "Phillipe," but no resolution was reached.
Gagnon's virtual court appearances have met with protests in Haileybury from supporters of Kaylie Smith intended to keep the accused in jail. He will next appear on Dec. 10 in Haileybury video remand court, from the North Bay Jail.
