'Justice for Kaylie': Dozens of supporters show up to northern Ont. man's court hearing
**WARNING - This article contains graphic details of intimate partner violence and may be upsetting to some readers
Dozens of 'Justice for Kaylie' supporters showed up Tuesday morning for a court hearing for the northern Ontario man accused in a vicious attack on his ex-girlfriend.
Protestors outside Haileybury courthouse calling for bail to be denied for Phillipe Gagnon, 18, who is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault against his ex-girlfriend. Nov. 12, 2024 (Eric Taschner/CTV Northern Ontario)
Phillipe Gagnon, 18, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, weapons possession and breaching a conditional sentence.
He is accused of hitting Kaylie Smith, 16, with his vehicle before getting out and attacking her with a sword on a quiet street in Cobalt, Ont., the evening of Nov. 3 – provoking outrage in the community.
Gagnon was arrested in the nearby community of Haileybury in Temiskaming Shores shortly after the assault and remains in custody.
The Haileybury court docket listed a bail appearance for the accused Tuesday morning via Zoom, however, bail was not discussed or requested.
Justice Michelle Rocheleau heard the matter around 10 a.m. with a packed courtroom, around 200 participants on Zoom and nearly two dozen protestors outside the courthouse.
Gagnon appeared by video from the North Bay jail dressed in an orange jumpsuit with shaggy, brown hair.
The matter has been adjourned two weeks at the request of defence counsel R. Davies in order to receive disclosure evidence.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
Kessie Pellerin was one of the people demonstrating outside the courthouse as the hearing was going on inside.
She told CTV News reporter Eric Taschner she is a friend of Smith's.
"We’re f****ing terrified," Pellerin said.
"This is usually a quiet town and nothing like this usually happens. That never happens in Temiskaming Shores."
None of the charges laid on Nov. 3 have been proven in court.
CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca is covering the case and will provide updates as new information becomes available.
Help is available
Confidential and free support is available for people experiencing violence. In an emergency, call 911.
-
Assaulted Women's Helpline 1-866-863-0511
- Fem'aide Helpline 1-877-336-2433
- Talk4Healing for Indigenous women 1-855-554-4325
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal
First it was Canada, then the Panama Canal. Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland.
King Charles ends royal warrants for Ben & Jerry's owner Unilever and Cadbury chocolatiers
King Charles III has ended royal warrants for Cadbury and Unilever, which owns brands including Marmite and Ben & Jerry’s, in a blow to the household names.
LIVE UPDATES Parts of Ontario under snowfall warning Monday as holiday travellers hit the road
Holiday travellers and commuters could be in for a messy drive on Monday morning as a significant round of snowfall moves into the region. Here are live updates on the situation in Toronto.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP grew 0.3 per cent in October
Statistics Canada says the economy grew 0.3 per cent in October, helped by strength in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector, following a 0.2 per cent increase in September.
U.S. House Ethics report finds evidence Matt Gaetz paid thousands for sex and drugs including paying a 17-year-old for sex in 2017
The U.S. House Ethics Committee found evidence that former Rep. Matt Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex or drugs on at least 20 occasions, including paying a 17-year-old girl for sex in 2017, according to a final draft of the panel's report on the Florida Republican, obtained by CNN.
The rent-a-friend industry is booming among Canada's Chinese diaspora
Dozens of people are offering rent-a-friend services on Xiaohongshu, a social media platform also known as Little Red Book or China's Instagram, in cities including Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto.
Dozens of luxury condos and hotels in Florida are sinking, study finds
Dozens of luxury condos, hotels and other buildings in southeast Florida are sinking at a surprising rate, researchers reported in a recent study.
Nordstrom to be taken private by founding family for US$4B
Nordstrom will be acquired by its founding family and Mexican retailer Liverpool for nearly US$4 billion in an all-cash deal, going private at a time when high-end retailers are grappling with slow demand.
Biden gives life in prison to 37 of 40 federal death row inmates before Trump can resume executions
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Monday that he is commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before president-elect Donald Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office.