Nova ScotiaNicholas Robert Coulombe, 32, facing charges that include attempted murder and aggravated assault, has opted to have his case heard by a Supreme Court judge and jury.Nicholas Robert Coulombe, 32, will return to court in JanuaryBlair Rhodes · CBC News · Posted: Nov 03, 2025 4:08 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesNicholas Coulombe is escorted into a courtroom on Friday, May 23, 2025. (Gareth Hampshire/CBC)A man accused of a violent assault early this year in the emergency department at Nova Scotia’s largest hospital has opted to have the charges against him heard by a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge and jury.Nicholas Robert Coulombe, 32, was charged with nine offences, including attempted murder and aggravated assault, after a Jan. 29 incident in which a man stabbed two staff members at the Halifax Infirmary. One of them was critically injured.Coulombe made a brief appearance Monday in Halifax provincial court, where he was expected to enter guilty pleas to some of the nine charges.Instead, he told Judge Alonzo Wright that he wanted a jury trial. The first step in that process is a preliminary inquiry, which has been scheduled for January of next year.While Coulombe did not enter pleas related to the ER incident, he did plead guilty to some other charges he was facing, including a mischief charge from December 2023. That charge relates to damaging a bus shelter.Coulombe also pleaded guilty to two charges arising from a disturbance at a coffee shop on Spring Garden Road in January. Coulombe admitted to uttering threats and causing a disturbance in relation to the coffee shop episode, but he pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault.The incident in the coffee shop happened just three days before the stabbing in the hospital ER.Coulombe remains in custody until his next court appearance at the end of January.MORE TOP STORIESABOUT THE AUTHORBlair Rhodes has been a journalist for more than 40 years, the last 31 with CBC. His primary focus is on stories of crime and public safety. He can be reached at blair.rhodes@cbc.ca
Man accused of attack in Halifax hospital ER requests jury trial
