Panhandling Murder Suspect Makes Bail
Posted September 4, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
She’s accused in a heinous crime, but she’s now a free woman. Nicole Kish was granted bail in a Toronto courtroom Tuesday evening. She’s been charged with second degree murder in a case that left the entire city on edge. Kish was at Queen and Niagara Sts. August 11th, when she was arrested in the infamous panhandling killing case.
Cops allege Kish was one of four people who fatally stabbed 32-year-old St. Catharines resident Ross Hammond in the darkness of a summer weekend, after he refused to give them any money. At the time the charges were upgraded against her, cops would only say they had “sufficient evidence” to make them stick. She’s the only Canadian accused in the case, which has raised a new debate about begging on the streets and what can be done to stop it.
Her lawyer admits the charges against her are serious, but it’s not unheard of for someone facing such dangerous allegations to be returned to society pending trial. “She’s certainly not the first person in Canada to be released on a charge of second-degree murder,” points out John Scarfe. “She has no criminal record, and she has a close, supportive family and a plan, so she’s a good candidate for release.”
The price for her freedom isn’t cheap – her bail was set at $165,000. The 21-year-old will be living under house arrest with her grandmother in Stoney Creek until she heads back to court on September 25th for her next appearance on the charges, which can carry a hefty jail term on conviction.
