“He ran into the driveway and picked up a seven-year-old girl. He threw her to the ground, punched her and strangled her.”
A Toronto man has been acquitted of a choking attack on a young girl after a judge ruled that he had been under the influence of marijuana and said that the attack was due to a “psychotic episode.” During the attack, he invoked Allah, according to court documents.
Ahmed Baig pleaded not guilty to assault causing bodily harm and assault by choking after an August 2023 attack in which he left his home wearing only a towel after vaping cannabis. The towel fell off and he started chasing a family that he encountered in the driveway.
“He ran into the driveway and picked up a seven-year-old girl. He threw her to the ground, punched her and strangled her. He then abruptly left the driveway, and a short time later was arrested by police. At the time of arrest, he wore only a T-shirt,” Justice Mara Greene wrote, recounting the incident.
Greene said that Baig was not guilty on both counts and the attack was a result of a "nonmental disorder automatism.”
Baig didn’t “dispute that he attacked the seven-year-old girl,” said Greene. “He argued, however, that he should be acquitted of the charges because his actions were involuntary as he was suffering from a cannabis induced psychosis at the time of the attack.”
The Crown argued in the case that "while Mr. Baig’s mental faculties may have been impacted by cannabis, his acts were still volitional."
“Home alone, Mr. Baig decided to consume cannabis to help with his feelings of anxiety,” the decision from August 13 said. “He used a brand of cannabis recommended by the store, but one he had not used before. The cannabis was in vape form. Instead of relieving his anxiety, he felt more anxious.”
Baig said that he called his wife for her to come home and then went to sleep. He claimed that the next memory of the incident was that he was getting fingerprinted. The attack was also captured on video. According to court documents, Baig went up to the family naked and "then attacked [the] daughter" and then stated "I will kill you" and "I won't kill you" and "referred to Allah."
He “sounded nonsensical at times and made comments about billionaires,” the victim’s father testified.
Psychiatrist Dr. Shapiro at the trial testified that Baig was suffering from a cannabis induced psychosis or he was sleepwalking, or a combination of the two.
When police asked him if he wanted a lawyer, Baig “stated that he wanted Neil Patrick Harris or a lawyer from a television show.”
“He also talked about bitcoin and lotteries,” the documents further stated.
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