Eastern P.E.I. man charged with attempted murder after 2 Stratford seniors assaulted with a bat

A 60-year-old man from eastern P.E.I. is facing charges of attempted murder after two serious assaults on seniors in their homes last week, RCMP say. 

The force said in a news release Monday that it began an investigation Oct. 24 after a male senior was attacked in his Stratford residence. 

The same day, RCMP also responded to an incident at the Irving gas station and convenience in Mount Albion, where an man tried to start an unprovoked fist fight with an employee who was unknown to him.

When officers got to the scene, the man had already left.

On Oct. 25, police received a report of an assault and robbery with a weapon at the home of a female senior in Stratford. 

RCMP Cpl. Gavin Moore told CBC News the accused used a baseball bat in both of the assaults on the seniors, who were both known to him.

Island EMS took both assault victims to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with what police described as serious injuries.  

Arrest made

On Saturday, Oct. 26, police identified a suspect and arrested Alan Wood of Vernon Bridge.

While being held at the provincial correctional centre over the weekend, RCMP said the accused made threats to a corrections officer.

"These are not offences that we come across very often here on P.E.I.," Moore said. 

"It's the seriousness of these types of offences that certainly have a profound effect on the communities as a whole, and it's with that concern that we devoted our full resources toward this investigation."

Wood appeared by video in provincial court in Charlottetown Monday afternoon to answer to the following charges:

• Attempted murder in connection with the Stratford man.
• Attempted murder and robbery with a weapon in connection with the Stratford woman.
• Assault in connection with the employee of the Mount Albion business.
• Uttering threats over the incident with the corrections officer.

The accused did not yet have a lawyer representing him. The Crown told the court that it has concerns about Wood's mental health and will be seeking to have him assessed for criminal responsibility.

He will stay in custody until his next court appearance, scheduled for Wednesday.

A reminder about safety

Moore said the fact that the alleged assaults happened inside the seniors' homes is also concerning to police. 

"I think we all view our home as our castle and our safe place, and with that, this does bring about a good deal of concern," he said. "Both victims in this case were known to the accused, so this would appear to have been in connection to people that he knew." 

Moore added that the incident highlights the importance of home safety, including locking doors, keeping your property well-lit and considering security systems.