The man accused of hitting a homeless woman with his truck on Montreal’s South Shore before driving away is fit to stand trial, according to the results of a psychiatric evaluation.
That was the determination reached by the Philippe-Pinel Institute, which examined Luigi Fragomele’s mental state at the time of the alleged crime and if he could be considered criminally responsible.
“There is nothing to indicate that the man was incapable of understanding right from wrong or that he was in a mental state that made him not responsible for the events,” Crown prosecutor Karine De Conninck said.
“The proceedings continue as if there had been no assessment of his mental health.”
The 46-year-old Fragomele is accused of running over and injuring 44-year-old Caroline Derome in Brossard on May 27. He was charged with four offences, including assault with a weapon and hit and run.
Longueuil police have said he acted deliberately.
De Conninck confirmed Derome is still recovering from her injuries. “Medically, I can tell you that she is recovering slowly from this event.”
Further information about Fragomele’s psychiatric evaluation at the Philippe-Pinel Institute was not revealed in court. The Crown prosecutor explained the report will not be filed with the court.
“Not as part of the proceedings,” said De Conninck. “Unless we proceed, for example, with sentencing, or we want to file it as part of the proceedings. But currently, there is no trial. It’s not a procedure that took place today; it’s a pro forma.”
The accused was denied bail last month after a judge determined he was considered a danger to the public, describing the alleged assault as “hate” against a marginalized group.
Defence lawyers argued the man’s brakes on his truck were not working properly, but the judge said an evaluation of the vehicle showed the brakes were not defective.
READ: Protesters denounce ‘persistent hatred’ towards homeless population after woman struck by vehicle in Brossard
During a bail hearing in early June, surveillance video of the incident showed Fragomele leaving the scene in his truck after allegedly hitting the victim, though that alleged action was not captured in the video.
Witnesses have claimed the accused repeatedly rammed into a homeless encampment.
Fragomele is due back in Sept. 16, at which point he could enter a plea.
“He could plead guilty on that date to certain charges, and we could have a joint submission,” De Conninck said. “So it’s too early to say whether we’ll be ready to do that on September 16. … We haven’t started negotiating at all yet.”
–With files from Gareth Madoc-Jones
