Trial date set in case of man accused in deadly Toronto van attack

Update

The case of a man accused of killing 10 people in a van attack in Toronto earlier this year appeared in court Tuesday.

Alek Minassian, 26, faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder.

Police allege Minassian drove a rental van for about one-kilometre down a busy sidewalk along Yonge St. on April 23.

In November, the deputy attorney general granted the prosecution’s request to skip preliminary hearings and move straight to a trial.

According to The Canadian Press, Minassian’s lawyer Boris Bytensky said last month they are 10 to 18 months away from trial. Bytensky says huge amounts of evidence had to be reviewed, including witness accounts and surveillance video.

Tuesday’s hearing was the first time the case appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

A trial date has been set for Feb. 3, 2020.