Northern Ontario man pleads guilty to attempted murder in vicious sword attack

Kaylie Smith’s left hand was amputated and her right hand was partially amputated in the brutal 2024 attack

Published Aug 14, 2026  •  2 minute read

Kaylie Smith. Photo by File photo

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A Northern Ontario man turned himself over to the mercy of the courts after attacking his girlfriend with a sword.

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Phillipe Rivard Gagnon pleaded guilty earlier this week in a Haileybury court to attempted murder in a case that grabbed headlines back in November 2024.

On Nov. 3 of that year, Kaylie Smith was departing a transit bus in the small town of Cobalt – about 140 km north of North Bay – on her way home from work at approximately 6 p.m. when she was run over by an SUV.

Ontario Provincial Police alleged the vehicle was driven by Gagnon.

He then got out of the car and attacked the 16-year-old with a sword.

“The investigation revealed that an altercation occurred between an 18-year-old male and a 16-year-old female, who suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital, where she remains,” the OPP said in a statement at the time.

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Hand amputated in brutal attack

Smith’s left hand was amputated in the brutal attack. Her right hand was partially amputated. She also suffered a skull fracture and a large cut to the back of her head. She underwent emergency brain surgery after the attack.

The OPP arrested Gagnon three days later in Haileybury, about 8 km north of Cobalt.

He was charged with attempted murder and possessing a dangerous weapon.

Gagnon has been held in custody since the attack and has shunted between the jail in North Bay and Haileybury to attend court appearances over the past couple of years.

His weapons charge remains and is expected to be dealt with by the courts in the coming months.

The case is slated to be back in Haileybury court on Sept. 16.

A GoFundMe page to help with Smith’s medical costs and long-term recovery has raised more than $112,370. Donations are on pause at this time.

Haileybury is approximately 220 km northeast of Sudbury, just west of the Quebec provincial boundary.

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