TORONTO – The father of a missing Toronto teen who is accused of stabbing three people in two separate incidents will remain in jail on attempted murder and other charges.
Vakhtang Makhniashvili appeared in court unshaven and wearing an orange jumpsuit Wednesday. He waived bail and consented to stay behind bars as his wife and son looked on.
Outside court his lawyer, Calvin Barry, said he could not find a suitable surety to post bail for Makhniashvili – but added he might seek bail at a later date.
"I consented to the detention order given that we don’t have a real plan from the second set of allegations in terms of suitable sureties at this time," Barry said.
Makhniashvili, 50, is "holding up and being strong" but misses his wife and son and wants to have a resolution, Barry added.
"There’s a lot of stress on him from the disappearance of the daughter back in September (2009) and also from the disappearance, so to speak, from the son. Knock on wood he was found within 24 hours."
Earlier last week Makhniashvili said his son ran away overnight because his family wanted him to concentrate on math and the boy wanted to play guitar.
Mariam Makhniashvili was 17 when she went missing after arriving at Forest Hill Collegiate on Sept. 14, 2009. The only solid clue was the discovery of her backpack and some school books in a parking lot the following month.
Last Thursday, Makhniashvili was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and failure to comply with bail conditions after a man and woman were stabbed in front of their home in the Greenwood Avenue-Queen Street area.
Neighbours identified the couple as David and Delores Langer. The Langers had posted bail for Makhniashvili after he was charged with stabbing a 26-year-old neighbour at his apartment building in May.
Makhniashvili is charged with aggravated assault, four counts of threatening bodily harm, forcible entry and assault with a weapon in the May incident.
The Langers did not know Makhniashvili before that incident, and pulled their bail promise after Makhniashvili told local media he was suspicious of the motives of David Langer, who is a private detective.
The couple have said they were only trying to help and felt hurt by his suspicions.
Makhniashvili’s wife, Lela Tabidze, then became his surety. But she would not be considered a suitable surety for the latest charges because Makhniashvili is alleged to have violated house arrest, Barry said Wednesday.
Barry added he hopes to get a psychiatric exam for his client, who remains in protective custody in the medical wing at the Metro West Detention Centre.
The Makhniashvili family, originally from the Republic of Georgia, had only been in Toronto for three months when their daughter disappeared. The parents lived in Los Angeles for five years before moving to Toronto, while Mariam and her brother lived with their grandparents in Georgia.
Vakhtang Makhniashvili said his daughter knew about calling 911, and police said at the time of her disappearance that she knew enough English to make herself understood.
Police have received tips of possible sightings of the missing girl from across Canada and beyond, and have urged anyone who knows Makhniashvili’s whereabouts to contact police.
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