Subway suspect to undergo evaluation

 

Feb 21, 2009 01:41 PM
 
Robyn Doolittle
Staff Reporter

The man accused of pushing two teenagers in the path of an oncoming subway train was hearing "auditory hallucinations" urging him to kill, court heard yesterday.

Adenir DeOliveira, the 47-year-old who has been charged with three counts of attempted murder in connection to the attack, will undergo a 30-day psychiatric evaluation at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health on Queen St. W. The assessment will determine whether DeOliveira is criminally responsible for his alleged actions more than a week ago.

"He has significant mental health issues and he certainly needs help in a psychiatric environment," his lawyer, Ian Kostman, said this morning.

At around rush hour Feb. 14, three teenaged boys – two 14 year olds and a 15 year old – were standing on the eastbound Dufferin Station platform.

Then suddenly, without warning or provocation, a suspect shoved all three of them from behind. One was able to keep his balance. The other two fell onto the tracks. They miraculously survived when one rolled into a crawl space, pulling his friend with him.

One boy suffered significant injuries to his foot and has undergone several surgeries.

DeOliveira, an immigrant from Portugal who runs a small lawn-care business, was arrested outside a nearby Pizza Hut and was taken to the Don Jail.

The defence hired Dr. Julian Gojer to conduct a private psychiatric evaluation.

Yesterday, Judge Kathleen Caldwell agreed to the 30-day evaluation after reading Gojer's report.

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