Teen accused of stabbing at Bedford school released on bail with house arrest

A 15-year-old boy accused of stabbing two staff members at Bedford’s Charles P. Allen High School in an incident on March 20 has been released on bail after serving more than three months in custody.

The teen, whose identity is protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, had a bail hearing in Halifax Juvenile Court on Wednesday.

He is charged with two counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and carrying a concealed weapon, and single counts of possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a weapon knowingly it was unauthorized and mischief .

Crown attorney Terry Nickerson opposed the boy’s release, while attorney Lonny Queripel argued for bail. There is a ban on the evidence and submissions heard by Judge Alan Tufts and the reasons he gave for granting bail.

Tufts ruled that the boy could be released on $100,000 bail with his parents as bail. Each parent pledged $50,000 to secure their release.

The judge placed the boy under house arrest at his parents’ home, which are about 15 minutes apart. He can only leave the properties if accompanied by a parent or step-parent, and the Halifax Regional Police must be notified when he moves between residences.

Tufts ordered the boy to deposit his passport with the court. He is not allowed to be within 80 feet of the high school or have any contact with the two victims of the stabbings, who were a deputy principal and an administrative assistant.

Also, the teen is not allowed to own any weapons and is only allowed to use a knife for preparing or consuming food.

In addition, the judge imposed the condition that the boy remains under the care of his current doctor.

Police responded to a gun call at CP Allen on March 20 at approximately 9:20 a.m. A student had stabbed two school employees before fleeing the Innovation Drive building.

The boy was apprehended nearby around 9:30 a.m

The employees were taken to hospital with serious injuries, but were in stable condition after treatment, police said. They were released from the hospital within a few days.

The suspect, who allegedly injured himself with a knife during the incident, was treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

The teenager had a gauze bandage around his throat when he first appeared in court on March 21. The Crown announced that day that if the boy is convicted, it could apply to have him sentenced as an adult.

The boy had to undergo a psychiatric examination in April. The doctor who performed that assessment told the court that the teen was mentally fit to stand trial.

The boy pleaded not guilty to the 11 charges on June 15. Trial dates are expected to be discussed when the case goes to court on Thursday.

On June 15, the teen was charged on a separate trespassing charge. That crime is said to have been committed at the school on March 2, almost three weeks before the stabbings. That charge will also be heard in court on Thursday.

On May 25, police announced that a former employee of the County Justice Department’s Sheriff Services Department had been charged with allegedly identifying the teen in social media posts on March 20. Former Bedford sheriff’s deputy Ali Zaki Khairalla Al-Hindal, 30, was arraigned in Halifax Provincial Court last week on charges of violating YCJA publication bans.

The charges against Al-Hindal will return to court on July 21, possibly for a plea.