Jury finds Rohinie Bisesar fit to stand trial in 2015 Shoppers stabbing

A jury has found that the accusedin the 2015 stabbing death of awoman in a downtown Shoppers Drug Mart is fit to stand trial for first-degree murder.

Rohinie Bisesar will begin her judge-only trial on Friday in front of Justice John McMahon for the death of 28-year-old Rosemarie (Kim) Junor. She will be represented bydefence lawyerRobert Karrass, who sayshe plans to bring forward evidence that she wasnot criminally responsible for her actions at the time of the attack.

"What's being alleged here is that while my client has had some involvement in this situation as a result of mental disorder, she would not be proceeding to prison or be legally culpable," Karrass told the media on Monday, adding that she would then go to a psychiatrichospitaluntil the Ontario Review Board (ORB) decides how to proceed.

Bisearelected to have a judge-alone trial. The Crown said it had no objections to her decision andasked for permission from the attorney general, whothenprovided written approval for the decision.

Karrasssays the trial will consist of a set of agreed-upon facts along with arguments from the prosecution and defence, rather than a series of witnesses.

Bisesar was also found fitby the ORB in July. It determined her mental state had improved enough to stand trial.

'Radically improved'

Forensic psychiatrist Ian Swayze told the jury Monday that Bisesar suffers from schizophrenia but that she seems to understand the proceedings and is aware of what is going on.

Swayze, who works at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto,saidshe has gotten treatment and has "radically improved."

Swayze testifed when he first treated Bisesar a year ago at CAMH, she was "acutely unwell and untreated."

He added that Bisesar was delusional and believed there were devices implanted on her body that were controlling her thoughts.

Swayzenow saysBisesar is in full remission and caninstruct her lawyer.

"She is fit to stand trial today," he said.

Swayze spoke to Bisesar this morning and he told thejury she is "focused, organized and direct."

She understands she is charged with first-degree murder and that if she's convicted she could be sentenced tolife without the possibility of parole for 25 years, he said.

After hearing the evidence from thepsychiatrist,it took the jury 20 minutes todetermine that she was fit to stand trial.

Bisesarremains in custody at CAMH.

Attack unprovoked, police say

She has been in custody since being arrested following the December 2015 slaying of Junor. During past court proceedings, Bisesar fired two lawyers and accused each of misrepresenting her.

Junor, a newlywed at the time, died in hospital days after being stabbed inside the Shoppers in the city's underground PATH system near Bay and Wellington streets.

Police previously said the two women didn't know each other and the attack was unprovoked.

Bisesar was initially charged with attempted murder before the charge was upgraded to second-degree murder and then, first-degree murder after police uncovered new evidence that suggested she had carried a knife into the drug store and the stabbing might have been premeditated.

Bisesar graduated from York University's undergraduate and graduate business programs, and had held several jobs in the city's financial district.