‘The ultimate tragedy’ — Windsor man pleads guilty to murdering spouse

Article content

A Windsor man (Windsor) stayed away from his spouse under court orders – after being prosecuted for domestic attacks earlier, he broke into a nearby family gathering, where she attended in October 2021 and attacked her with a knife.

Ramadhan Nizigiyimana, 33, pleaded guilty before Supreme Court Justice Maria Carroccia on Thursday since she was initially charged with first-degree murder and detention, mainly in psychiatric hospitals.

Article content

His defense attorney argued outside the court that more needs to be done to prevent similar horror tragedies in the future.

Police and paramedics were at the scene within minutes of the attack on Sunday afternoon, but the knife injured by the victim from multiple stabbings was too serious.

The attack shocked members of the local refugee community, including children. His domestic assault charges remain in court shortly after the killer was fired from a psychiatric ward at Windsor Hospital.

Defense attorney Patricia Brown told Stars after Thursday’s court lawsuit that the situation and questions surrounding the need for the Windsor murder case were investigated and answered.

“It’s a tragedy. If he was properly placed and treated, then this fateful day might never happen.”

The worst crime

A series of disturbing events led to murder attacks in downtown houses based on details contained in fact statements read this week by Assistant Crown Attorney Jayme Lesperance in court this week.

Article content

Nizigiyimana and his common-law wife, at the age of 38, arrived in Canada from Rwanda in 2020, have a shared young daughter and eldest son in her previous relationship with her mother. On June 27, 2021, Nizigiyimana was arrested for allegations of attack and threats.

The next day, he showed “unstable behavior” in the Windsor Police Detention Cell, and he was taken to the Ouellette campus of Windsor Regional Hospital for medical and mental health assessments, and then released him back to police custody after the initial test.

However, his “mental health struggle” only continued, and was ordered to return to the Ouellette campus psychiatric treatment area the next day (June 29) during his first court appearance. He stayed there for only over a week until he was taken to the Southwest Detention Center, where he was evaluated twice by a psychiatrist and had “suspicious attempts to commit suicide multiple suicides.”

Article content

Nizigiyimana returned to the Windsor area again on July 16, where he was under medical care until he was diagnosed with psychosis and possibly schizophrenia on August 6. He was placed in “multiple drugs” according to the factual statement, and he was discharged again on August 6 but apparently had nowhere to go, and the crime charges are still waiting: “He became homeless and for some time Nizigiyimana called himself “living on the street.”

Less than two months later, one of the regular gatherings in the local refugee community was held at a house in the 300 block of Elliott Street. On Sunday, October 3, at 5:25 pm, the guest had just arrived and Nizigiyimana arrived on a bicycle, kicked open the front door, without saying a word, went straight to his spouse and began stabbing her. The owner tried to intervene but was stabbed and suffered minor injuries.

Within just a few minutes, the officer began to respond to the 911 call. Nizigiyimana, still wielding the knife, was arrested outside without any incidents, while other officers were eager to save the victim, who was pronounced dead in the same hospital shortly after, and her spouse was treated a few weeks ago.

Article content

Nizigiyimana sat between the lawyer and his native interpreter on Thursday in a long sleeveless and loose “suicide gown” and sat between the lawyer and his native speaker, Nizigiyimana answered the judge, who understood the court proceedings and he was waived his right to a jury with a guilty plea. According to Brown, her client “had no memory of the actual committing the act” but admitted that others present witnessed the killing.

Nizigiyimana was in front of the same judge two days ago and was expected to plead guilty at the time, but the proceedings ceased when the lawyer and Justice Carroccia came to the conclusion and it was difficult for the defendant to understand why he was there. Brown said her client tried to commit suicide again shortly before appearing in court.

The judge said in Thursday’s proceedings, while pointing out “multiple assessments” of Nizigiyimana’s trial, “we know he has a serious mental illness.” Brown told the Star that she “repeatedly raised my concerns about his suitability for trial.”

Article content

We need to fix this because it’s broken

Brown told the Star that she was Nizigiyimana who was first accused of domestic violence allegations as a lawyer in Ontario court the day before being appointed as a defense attorney under the Legal Aid Act. She criticized her client for ending release from the hospital without any notice, or apparently royal and police, and that he had no place to go.

“Next, I got a call saying my client was detained for first-degree murder,” Brown said. “A very ill person was discharged from the hospital, returned to the community and committed the worst offense.”

Justice Carroccia ordered the verdict to be pronounced on the previous report on Nizigiyimana and set it as a verdict hearing on July 11. Faced with automatic life imprisonment, the rest is the judge’s decision to determine the length of imprisonment within 10 to 25 years before the offender first applies for parole.

Article content

Brown told the court that if her client came to Canada as a refugee and had no Canadian nationality, he would have been released on parole and he “will likely be removed from office…(and) back to where he had to escape.”

Meanwhile, Nizigiyimana’s lawyers told The Star that the current “gap” in the local criminal justice and mental health systems must be examined and resolved.

Brown, who worked with the Canadian Mental Health Association before becoming a criminal defense attorney, said: “We need to address this because it’s broken – it’s the ultimate tragedy.”

dschmidt@postmedia.com

twitter.com/schmidtcity

Article content