Man accused in barbecue fork attack denied bail

A man accused of attacking a random man on the street with a barbecue fork one week after being arrested for another assault was denied bail in Brandon provincial court on Friday.

Ethan Daniels-Merasty, 30, is charged with assault and assault with a weapon.

The Crown opposed Daniels-Merasty’s release on the grounds that his detention was necessary to maintain the safety of the public.

Crown attorney Rich Lonstrup detailed the allegations behind the charges. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the accused remains innocent.

On May 7, a man reported that Daniels-Merasty had punched him in the face twice in the lobby of 7th Street Health Access Centre.

Bear Clan Patrol Brandon had told police they believed Daniels-Merasty was in psychosis and described the assault, along with what he was wearing.

Police spotted the accused, wearing the described clothing, walking down Rosser Avenue roughly two hours after the report, Lonstrup said. Police arrested him and subsequently released him on an undertaking.

“While he was on an undertaking, seven days later, the Crown alleges he was reinvolved,” Lonstrup said.

Members of Brandon Fire and Emergency Services were on the sidewalk with a man and flagged down police at around 3 p.m. on Thursday.

The man told police he had been assaulted with a wrench and pointed out the suspect, who was about a block away, the Crown said. Police identified the suspect as Daniels-Merasty and arrested him.

The complainant told police he was walking home from work on First Street when “a man came out of the trees” and attacked him, court heard.

“The suspect was yelling and swearing at him … and hit him in the upper rib area with what he believed to be a wrench,” Lonstrup said. The suspect then ran back into the trees, still swearing.

Despite wearing a thick sweatshirt with a T-shirt underneath, the man showed police two puncture wounds on his ribs that were bleeding, Lonstrup said.

“He didn’t know this individual, he’d never seen him before, but he was very shaken up by this attack. (He) believed it to be completely random and unprovoked,” the Crown said.

Police found a stainless steel “meat fork” under a tree, which was right beside where officers arrested the accused and consistent with the complainant’s injury, he said.

Lonstrup described both alleged assaults as “extremely disturbing” and said it’s concerning that both were seemingly unprovoked and happened only one week apart.

Defence lawyer Anthony Dawson said the accused denied both assault allegations.

Daniels-Merasty maintained he was with his mother at the time of the second allegation, and while she had not spoken to police, Dawson planned on trying to arrange for her to give a statement, he said.

Dawson said he and the Crown are also in the process of confirming whether there are security cameras at 7th Street Health Access Centre.

He said the accused’s life growing up was “rather rough,” and he spent most of his life in Child and Family Services’ care. Daniels-Merasty’s mother, father and grandparents all attended residential school, court heard.

Dawson proposed a bail plan that included a $1,500 promise to pay but said he is homeless and wouldn’t be able to provide an address or abide by a curfew.

While Dawson said it’s unfortunate Daniels-Merasty is disadvantaged in terms of the bail plan he can offer, he is someone who can be released.

Associate Chief Judge Geoffrey Bayly said the circumstances that brought the accused back into custody are “quite concerning” and the bail plan didn’t address his concerns regarding the safety of the public.

» sanderson@brandonsun.com