Claude Légaré, 49, who is wanted in the stabbing of his former girlfriend, faced eight charges prior to that alleged attack.

A man sought by Ottawa police in connection with the stabbing of his former girlfriend was facing a long list of charges before the alleged attack.

CBC News has learned that Claude Légaré, 49, was scheduled to appear in North Grenville provincial court last Friday to face eight charges dating back to June 30. Those charges include:

• Three counts of assault.
• One count of assault with a weapon.
• Three counts of threatening death or bodily harm.
• One count of careless use or storage of a firearm.

According to documents obtained from provincial court by CBC News, police were called to the home Légaré shared with his former girlfriend, Brenda Van Leyen, five times between June 30 and Sept. 1, 2009.

Police issued a warrant for Légaré on Monday after Van Leyen and a man were stabbed on Friday outside a drug store in Barrhaven, in Ottawa's southwest.

Van Leyen was taken to hospital in critical condition, with stab wounds to her neck, stomach and back. On Tuesday, police said she was "recovering well" in hospital.

A 21-year-old male employee of the drugstore who rushed to help Van Leyen sustained stab wounds to his chest, but was treated and released from hospital.

Suspicious fire

The home Van Leyen shared with Légaré until a month ago was gutted by fire on Sunday night. The Kemptville fire department responded to a call shortly after 10:30 p.m. that the house at 4404 County Road 19 in North Grenville was engulfed in flames.

Leeds and Grenville OPP considered the fire to be suspicious and were searching for Légaré in the area. According to neighbours, Van Leyen's teenaged daughter also lived at that address, but was not home at the time of the fire.

Search for Légaré continues

In a press release issued Tuesday, Ottawa police said Légaré could be driving a 1995 green Chevrolet Tahoe with the Ontario licence plate number AXYR 933.

Légaré is described as white, five-foot-seven, weighs 205 pounds, with a stocky build and a beard. Police consider him to be armed and dangerous.

In a news release Monday, police said the suspect was wearing a black or dark blue hooded sweatshirt, a dark baseball cap, light grey track pants and dark winter shoes at the time of the stabbing.

"In the event that Mr. Légaré is spotted, we're asking people not to approach him but to contact police and let us know of his whereabouts," Ottawa Const. J.P. Vincelette said Monday.