Judge to decide Monday if man accused of deliberately striking homeless woman in Brossard will be granted bail

The bail hearing for the 46-year-old man accused of a hit and run involving a homeless woman on Montreal’s South shore took place in a Longueuil courthouse on Thursday.

Luigi Fragomele is charged with four offences, including assault with a weapon and hit and run after allegedly running over 44-year-old Caroline Derome in Brossard on May 27, causing her leg injuries.

Police have said he acted deliberately.

The Crown prosecutor in the case is arguing Fragomele shouldn’t be released on bail, suggesting he could be a risk to public safety.

“Detention is considered necessary to ensure the safety of the public, but especially in the current context of the rise, the housing crisis, the rise of homelessness and the phenomenon of intolerance that we see towards the homeless,” said prosecutor Karine De Conninck.

“It is considered that the release of the accused with the guarantees that were proposed would undermine public confidence in the justice system.”

At the conclusion of Thursday’s hearing, Judge Jean-Phillipe Marcoux told the court he will need until Monday to make a decision.

Fragomele has been in detention since he allegedly struck Derome.

During the bail hearing, surveillance video of the incident was played. The moment the victim was allegedly struck happened outside of the video’s frame, but the accused can be seen getting out of his vehicle after allegedly hitting Derome, then getting back inside his truck and driving away.