Rohinie Bisesar, accused in Shoppers Drug Mart stabbing, fires lawyer
Psychiatric assessment of accused filed in court, but her former lawyer would not reveal its contents
Rohinie Bisesar, the accused in the fatal stabbing of a young newlywed at a Shoppers Drug Mart in the PATH last December, has fired her lawyer.
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Bisesar, 41, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 28-year-old Rosemarie Junor. During a court appearance on Wednesday, Bisesar fired her lawyer, Calvin Barry.
A publication ban was placed on Wednesday's proceedings. Only the fact that Bisesar fired Barry can be reported.
"I was discharged, so now what happens is that the next step is that the duty counsel will have another lawyer appointed and then the process will continue and we will see how it unravels," Barry told reporters outside court.
Last month, a judge ordered Bisesar to undergo a psychiatric assessment at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. During that court appearance, on April 22, Bisesar told court that she heard voices and claimed to have had a microchip implanted inside her.
The psychiatrist's report has been filed in court, but Barry would not reveal its contents when addressing the media on Wednesday, saying only that it "wouldn't be proper" given that he's no longer Bisesar's lawyer.
"It's always difficult … when you have a — and I'm speaking generally — mental illness with somebody accused of serious allegations and so that's something that a lot of times we're ill-equipped to deal with," Barry told reporters.
Last month, Barry said the assessment would help determine whether Bisesar is fit to stand trial. She missed a court appearance on April 13 because she had been hospitalized.
Bisesar remains in custody at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton.
Her next court appearance has not been scheduled.