A 12-person jury has determined a Toronto woman can stand trial for first-degree murder in the death of a woman in the underground PATH system three years ago.
Rohinie Bisesar has been in custody since December 2015 when she allegedly stabbed a stranger in an unprovoked attack in a drug store.
Twenty-eight-year-old Rosemarie “Kim” Junor, a newlywed and medical technician, was rushed to hospital where she would die from her injuries five days later. At the time, police called it “an unprovoked attack.”
Bisesar was originally charged with second-degree murder, but those charges were later upgraded to first-degree murder.
Justice John McMahon told the jury Monday morning that their sole role is to decide whether or not Bisesar is fit to stand trial, on account of a mental disorder. The jury later found she was fit to stand trial.
McMahon told jurors that a prior jury found Bisesar unfit to stand trial and in past has suffered significant mental health challenges but since then, she has received psychiatric treatment and has been prescribed anti-psychotic medication.
He said the crown attorney believes Bisesar is now fit to stand trial but the burden lies on the crown to convince them on a balance of probability that she is fit to stand trial.
McMahon pleasded not guilty on behalf of Bisesar, who sat quietly in the prisoner’s box listening to the proceedings.
Junor’s widower and members of her family have packed the courtroom.
Bisesar chose to proceed with the trial by judge alone. It is set to begin on Friday.
— With files from Nick Westoll
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