A man from Cobalt in northern Ontario has admitted to attempting to murder his 16-year-old former girlfriend with a sword two years ago. Phillipe Rivard Gagnon, 20, made the plea at the Haileybury courthouse earlier this week.
The incident occurred on November 3, 2024, when Kaylie Smith was coming home from work and was hit by an SUV as she got off a transit bus in Cobalt. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Gagnon by the Ontario Provincial Police, proceeded to assault her with a sword.
According to statements from Smith’s family in media reports, one of Kaylie’s hands was severed, and the other was severely injured.
Gagnon, who was 18 at the time of the attack, was taken into custody and charged with attempted murder and possession of a dangerous weapon. He has been in jail since then and has been brought from North Bay to Haileybury for court appearances over the past two years.
During his recent court appearance, Gagnon pleaded guilty to the attempted murder charge, while the weapons offense is still pending and will be addressed by the courts in the upcoming months. A sentencing date has not been set yet, but the case is scheduled to return to Haileybury court on September 16.