Woman charged with two evacuations

Judge to decide whether accused is criminally responsible

A provincial court judge will decide this week whether to accept a finding that a Halifax woman, charged in connection with two evacuations in Cape Breton, should not be held criminally responsible for her actions.

Karin Tara Sorenson, 47, is charged in connection with an evacuation at the Home Depot in Sydney and the Sydney Justice Centre. Both incidents occurred in April.

A psychiatric assessment has concluded that Sorenson should not be held criminally responsible for her actions because of a mental illness. A similar opinion has been filed by a psychiatrist for the defence, who also examined the accused.

A judge will now determine whether to accept the opinions and order Sorenson be held at the East Coast Forensic Hospital pending a ruling by a review board. The board is responsible for periodic assessments of the accused in determining when Sorenson could be released back into the community.

The hearing is now set for Friday.

Sorenson was first arrested in Cape Breton after being found wandering in and out of traffic in Groves Point on April 5.

She was released on conditions but was soon back behind bars after she is alleged to have armed herself with a knife and barricaded herself in a shelving unit at Home Depot resulting in an evacuation.

The following week, while still in custody, she allegedly triggered a sprinkler head inside the Sydney Justice Centre, prompting another brief evacuation of a public building.

She has also refused to talk with lawyers about her case, has demanded a human rights lawyer be appointed to her case and further claimed she was on a hunger strike.

She is charged with four counts of breaching court orders and single counts of possession of weapon for a dangerous purpose and causing a disturbance.