Former hostage Boyle granted bail with conditions
OTTAWA — Former overseas hostage Joshua Boyle, who faces several assault charges, will be released on bail with strict conditions.
Justice Robert Wadden handed down the decision today in Ontario court following a two-day proceeding earlier this week.
Boyle was arrested by Ottawa police in December and charged with various offences including assault, sexual assault, unlawful confinement and causing someone to take a noxious substance.
The charges against Boyle relate to two alleged victims, but a court order prohibits the publication of any details that might identify them or any witnesses.
Boyle and his American wife, Caitlan Coleman, were taken hostage in 2012 by a Taliban-linked group during a backpacking trip in Afghanistan.
The couple — along with the three children they had during their five years in captivity — were freed by Pakistani forces last October.
None of the charges, which relate to incidents that allegedly occurred between Oct. 14 and Dec. 30 — after Boyle returned to Canada — have been tested in court.
The family had been living in an Ottawa apartment for about a month when Boyle was arrested.
Lawrence Greenspon, a lawyer for Boyle, told the court in late January that an initial evaluation found his client fit to stand trial, but added that he would benefit from a fuller assessment at a mental health centre in Brockville, Ont.
The confidential psychiatric evaluation was completed this spring.