A 32-year-old woman accused of threatening employees at a Canadian Tire store in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough with a knife last month is facing additional terrorism-related charges, the federal Crown prosecutor in charge of her case told Radio Canada International.
Rehab Dughmosh had previously been charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, assault, uttering threats, carrying a concealed weapon, and two counts of possession of a weapon.
Dughmosh now faces 14 terror-related charges under Section 83.2 of the Criminal Code, said Howard Piafsky.
She is alleged to have undertaken her actions “for the benefit of, at the direction of or in association with a terrorist group,” Piafsky said.
Dughmosh was also charged on Tuesday of participating in terrorist activity. The charge relates to Dughmosh allegedly travelling to Turkey and attempting to enter Syria in April 2016, Piafsky said.
Dughmosh is reported to have swore allegiance to the leader of the so-called Islamic State during her court appearance on June 6.
“I am pledged to the leader of the believers, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,” Rehab Dughmosh, is reported to have said in reference to the shadowy ISIS leader.
Dughmosh made the statement without waiting for Justice of the Peace Alice Napier to begin proceedings in Toronto, reported CBC News reporter Stephanie Matteis.
An employee at the store, located in Cedarbrae Mall, was injured during the incident on Saturday, June 3, but the injuries were not life-threatening, Toronto police said in a news release.
Police said officers responded to a call at the store located near the intersection of Lawrence Avenue East and Markham Road area at around 5:10 p.m. local time.
Police allege the woman walked to the paint section of the store with a golf club and began to swing it at employees and a customer, and also threatened them.
The store employees and customers were able to restrain the woman and contacted police.
Police say the woman then pulled out a large knife from under her clothing. She was restrained and, with the assistance of another store employee, the knife was pried out of her hand, police say.
During her appearance in a Toronto courtroom in College Park in June, Dughmosh wore a black face covering veil called niqab, green sweatshirt, pants and running shoes, and addressed the court through an Arabic-language translator. She declined her right to a bail hearing, CBC News reported.
Judge Napier explained it was the responsibility of the Crown to prove that an accused should remain detained, but Dughmosh decided to stay in jail by her choice.
Dughmosh continues to refuse legal counsel.
She is due back in court on July 21, Piafsky said.
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