A woman facing 21 charges including terror offences in relation to a bizarre golf club and knife assault inside a Scarborough Canadian Tire in June has refused to leave her jail cell to attend court for a second time.
A court security officer at 1911 Eglington Avenue East told court Tuesday that 32-year-old Rehab Dughmosh refused to be removed from her holding cell.
Security officers declined to forcibly remove her from her cell and transport her to court out of concern for the physical safety of all involved.
“She didn’t leave her cell and get on transport to come to court – and therefore wasn’t here to represent her own interest,” Ingrid Grant, an appointed friend of the court, or amicus curiae, told CP24.
On July 21, Dughmosh also declined to attend court and the judge issued a warrant to ensure her appearance on Tuesday.
Dughmosh is accused of walking into a Canadian Tire store in Cedarbrae Mall on June 3 and allegedly assaulting staff and patrons with a golf club in the store’s paint section.
She later allegedly drew a large knife from under her clothing, uttering death threats throughout the incident.
She also expressed support for the so-called Islamic State and was later restrained and disarmed by store staff. One store employee suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
She was originally charged with assault with a weapon, threatening death and carrying a concealed weapon.
Last month, the RCMP added new charges including four counts of attempted murder, alleging all of her conduct was in support of a known terrorist group, the so-called Islamic State.
Federal security officials also allege Dughmosh left Canada on April 24, 2016 to travel to Syria but was intercepted and detained in Turkey, she was returned to her home without charge.
In a previous appearance on June 6, Dughmosh told the court through an interpreter that she had pledged allegiance “to the leader of the believers —Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,” the leader of the so-called Islamic State.
Grant told reporters that Dughmosh, who has so far indicated she wishes to represent herself, may need to undergo a medical assessment of her criminal responsibility.
“If the judge orders that assessment be done then it would be carried out by a doctor.”
Grant told the court earlier that she had concerns about Dughmosh’s mental health.
The judge ordered that Dughmosh appear via video link on Thursday morning.
If Dughmosh refuses to leave her cell for that appearance, Grant said it will be up to the judge to decide whether to transport her to court by force.
