A WOMAN who was involved in an eight-hour stand-off with police after allegedly attempting to murder two ten-year-olds has been deemed unfit to stand trial.
Ann Marie McEvoy, of Church Walk, Colchester, was due to be tried at Lincoln Crown Court this summer having been charged with two counts of attempted murder November 2022.
The charges followed a serious incident at a flat in Friskney, Lincolnshire, on Tuesday, November 29, which saw two children taken to hospital with stab wounds.
After psychiatric reports were prepared on McEvoy, however, Judge Hurst told Lincoln Crown Court the defendant was not fit to stand trial due to a mental disability.
Instead, a trial of the facts will take place where the prosecution will set out the case to a jury in the defendant’s absence.
The jury will then retire to consider the case, though their conclusion cannot result in a criminal conviction.
McEvoy, 40, was arrested after police were called to an address in Fold Hill at 1.50pm on November 29 following reports of a concern for safety.
Officers began negotiating with McEvoy inside the address at 4.30pm.
About eight hours later, officers entered the property at 1am on November 30.
McEvoy was then tasered and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, while the two ten-year-old boys were found to have sustained stab wounds.
As part of a large emergency response, East Midlands Ambulance Service sent the Hazardous Area Response Team, a doctor, two paramedics in fast response cars and three crewed ambulances before the two children were taken to hospital.
Lincolnshire Police subsequently referred itself to the police watchdog following the incident.
McEvoy was remanded in custody in HMP Peterborough.
The defendant later denied two counts of attempted murder, one charge of wounding a police officer and one charge of threatening a person with an offensive weapon, bladed article or corrosive substance in a private place.
McEvoy was then also charged with one count of attempted grievous bodily harm on a police officer and threatening a person with an offensive weapon.
A hearing will take place next month ahead of the trial of the facts in June.
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