A 19-year-old man accused of stealing an empty school bus and ramming into two Saint John police cars during a high speed chase in February has been ordered to stand trial after being found mentally fit, but not criminally responsible.
Matthew Duke made another appearance in provincial court today after two 30-day psychiatric assessments.
His duty counsel, Jeremy Erickson, told Judge Andrew Palmer that he wasn’t able to have any meaningful conversation with Duke beyond him saying that he wanted to go home and a request to be put on house arrest.
Judge Palmer asked Duke if he understood the process of election, to which Duke said “no” and was then ordered to be tried by judge and jury.
His mother, who was sitting in the front row closest to the prisoner’s box had been granted permission to go speak with her son during a break and she returned to the courtroom in tears.
The seven charges Duke is facing date back to February 9 when a school bus was stolen from its driver’s home near Lorneville and a highway chase ensued before it crashed in a gulley near Grand Bay-Westfield after all the tires were blown out using stop sticks.
An officer had to run from flying debris after his cruiser was hit and destroyed by the bus, and another officer who was slightly hurt was sent to hospital to be checked out.
The Crown asked for a preliminary inquiry which will be held on April 25 and Duke has been remanded to Restigouche until that time.
Both Duke’s family and Erickson declined comment.
