Man accused of trying to poison another must wait for bail decision
Hearing for Masih Allahbashkhi ongoing in St. John’s after four days
Four days in, and the bail hearing for a Memorial University PHD student charged with trying to poison another man is still ongoing.
Masih Allahbashkhi will have to wait until Monday to learn whether or not he will be released from custody. His bail hearing has been ongoing since Tuesday morning.
Details presented during the hearing are banned from publication. Justice Lori Marshall has spent the week hearing from Crown prosecutor Jude Hall and defence lawyer Ken Mahoney.
Allahbashkhi, 29 and an engineering PHD student, is alleged to have tried to poison another man by giving him prescription drugs on April 3 of last year. Allahbashkhi was arrested in St. John’s a week ago and charged with administering a noxious thing with the intent to harm or endanger a life.
At the time of his arrest, he had been out on bail and abiding by court restrictions, having been charged last year with attempting to murder the same man.
It is alleged Allahbashkhi tried to push the man over a cliff at Signal Hill April 3 while the pair were walking. The two men fell more than 20 feet and the victim received minor injuries. Allahbashkhi was arrested shortly afterward. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is scheduled to start Feb. 12.
Police say the alleged poisoning incident happened four days prior to the Signal Hill event.
Provincial court judge Lori Marshall will call the case again Monday morning.