Suspect causes disturbance in court

A woman facing several charges of assaulting a peace officer, resisting a peace officer and causing a disturbance, lost control in court and had to be restrained.

Adut Wol Madut blew up in court Wednesday, yelling and swearing until the judge ordered she be taken into custody.

The accused was represented by duty counsel, but before the lawyer could explain Madut’s case before the judge, Madut began yelling and insisting she didn’t need any lawyers to help her and accusing the court of forcing her to accept their help.

“You guys are bullys,” she yelled as she was led out of the courtroom.

Even during a brief respite from her tirade, during which the Crown and defence tried to describe Madut’s circumstances, the accused was visibly angry, stomping her feet and shaking her arms in frustration. Then she would let loose with another outburst, insisting that her charges would dropped and any interference from lawyers was unwelcome.

After spending time in a holding cell, the handcuffed and much subdued woman stood quietly in the prisoner’s dock and listened while the judge explained that she could have avoided the confrontation had she only allowed duty counsel and the Crown to explain the process.

The Crown was finally able to tell court that Madut is participating in a Mental Health Diversion Program — a pretrial procedure that allows an accused person to receive treatment and counselling — and he recommended the charges be withdrawn.

Mental Health Diversion is aimed at reducing the likelihood of the accused re-offending, and the Crown uses its discretion whether to prosecute. It's not necessary for the accused to admit guilt of an offence, and the Crown may stay or withdraw the charge if the accused is suffering from a mental illness which may be the underlying cause of the alleged criminal conduct.