Notorious killer Paul Bernardo is facing a new charge of possession of a weapon, according to court documents.
Bernardo made a brief appearance in court via video in Napanee, Ont., on Friday.
Court documents show the alleged offence took place on Feb. 9 at the maximum-security Millhaven Institution.
Bernardo is accused of possessing a homemade shank made from a screw and a pen in prison.
WATCH: Paul Bernardo faces weapons possession charge after he was found with shank. Jamie Mauracher reports.
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Bernardo was convicted in the brutal rape and murders of two Ontario teenage girls, Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy, in 1995. He is currently serving a life sentence.
He became eligible for day parole last year but had his hearing pushed back until October 2018.
Tim Danson, the lawyer for the families of Bernardo’s murder victims, said the new charge may impact his chances of getting parole.
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“Obviously, even Paul Bernardo on this is entitled to the presumption of innocence, but if it’s true, and he is convicted, it will have a significant impact on his bid for freedom,” Danson told reporters at the law office in Toronto on Friday.
Danson said the families are preparing for his parole hearing later this year and that the process has been lengthy.
“Paul Bernardo’s actually had some, four or five, maybe even six, hearings that he then postponed. But each time the family has to prepare for the victim impact statements. The whole process has been really tearing them apart,” Danson said.
However, Danson said he is confident Bernardo, who has also been designated a dangerous offender, will never see the light of day.
“We’re not going to be complacent and we’re going to put the best case forward,” he said.
“Having said that, my view is, I’ve been doing this for 38 years, is that there is as much chance — the chances of Paul Bernardo ever seeing freedom is somewhere between zero and nil. That’s what I feel in my gut.”
Bernardo’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 18.
VIDEO: Could Paul Bernardo walk free?
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