Man elects judge-and-jury trial for Halifax hospital stabbing charges

A man charged with attempted murder for an attack at a Halifax hospital will face a judge and jury trial.

A man who is accused of attempted murder following a hospital attack has elected a judge-and-jury trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

Nicholas Robert Coulombe, 32, is accused of attacking four people – including three healthcare workers – at the Halifax Infirmary emergency department on Jan. 29.

He’s charged with the following:

• attempted murder
• three counts of aggravated assault
• three counts of assault with a weapon
• two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose

Police alleged Coulombe, who was a patient at the time, stabbed two people and injured two others by throwing objects at them.

One of the victims sustained what police called “significant injuries.”

Coulombe appeared in provincial court on Monday. He did not enter pleas to the charges but signaled his intention of having a jury trial.

The judge set a preliminary inquiry for Jan. 28 and Jan. 30, 2026.

Guilty pleas on other charges

Coulombe also appeared on other charges on Monday.

He pleaded guilty to public mischief for damaging an unspecified bus shelter on Dec. 16, 2023.

Over a year later – and only days before the alleged hospital attack – on Jan. 26, 2025, Coulombe was accused of assault, uttering threats and causing a disturbance at Starbucks on Spring Garden Road.

He pleaded not guilty to the assault charge, but guilty to uttering threats and causing a disturbance.

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