A Winnipeg man charged with the attempted killing of a woman found beaten in a garbage dumpster has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment to determine whether he should be held criminally responsible for the crime.
Joey Audy, 35, was one of five people arrested after the 27-year-old victim was found bound in a downtown dumpster screaming for help on Dec. 10.
Audy was charged with attempted murder, assault causing bodily harm, uttering threats, robbery and forcible confinement in connection to the incident.
He remains in custody.
On Thursday, at the request of Audy’s lawyer, provincial court Judge Lindy Choy ordered a forensic assessment of Audy be completed within the next 30 days.
Due to an ongoing shortage of forensic psychiatrists in the province, the assessment is unlikely to be completed by the 30-day deadline, at which time an extension would be requested.
Police at the time said the victim went to a Manitoba Housing apartment complex at 24 Carlton St. the afternoon of Dec. 9 and was forced into a suite, where she was assaulted and robbed. The victim told police she lost consciousness and was tied up for a significant period of time.
The woman, still bound by restraints, was later forced into a garbage bin behind the 10-storey public housing tower on Dec. 10, where she was abandoned in below-freezing temperatures. Passersby heard the woman crying for help and she was taken to hospital.
Court records show charges of forcible confinement and robbery involving two accused, 27-year-old Misty Bird and Lorde Barrios, 29, were stayed earlier this year.
A fourth accused, Evelyn McKay, 41, is charged with aggravated assault and forcible confinement and is set to appear in court Aug. 9.
A fifth accused, Romeo Chris Miles, 28, pleaded guilty to forcible confinement and robbery and was sentenced in March to 18 months in jail.
dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
Dean Pritchard
Courts reporter
Dean Pritchard is courts reporter for the Free Press. He has covered the justice system since 1999, working for the Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 2019. Read more about Dean.
Every piece of reporting Dean produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.