Donna Elder made a brief appearance by closed circuit television Monday morning in an Edmonton mental health court.
The diminutive, 60-year-old woman showed no expression when the Crown told provincial court Assistant Chief Judge Larry Anderson that two additional charges had been sworn against her: attempted murder and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Last week, Elder was charged with aggravated assault after police allege she intentionally drove a 2007 Toyota RAV4 into an 85-year-old woman at a west Edmonton KFC restaurant.
At the time, police would only say the driver and victim were “known to one another,” but Elder’s defence lawyer, Robert LaValley, confirmed to CBC News the victim, Katherine Triplett, is Elder’s mother.
Triplett was rushed to hospital on July 18 after suffering life-threatening injuries. Crown prosecutor Brendan Gaunt said Triplett remains in the intensive care unit in hospital and her condition has been upgraded to critical but stable.
Three women sitting in the front row of the courtroom Monday who were identified as family members appeared to be very emotional, but declined comment outside the courtroom.
Elder appeared last Thursday before a justice of the peace who ordered a mental health assessment after the prosecutor noted Elder seemed confused.
When the results of the assessment were not made available to the mental health court Monday, Anderson made an order to assess Elder “to determine whether she’s fit to stand trial.”
Elder gave permission for a nurse to provide her medical records to the defence.
An original plan to make an application for bail was postponed.
The 60-year old will be back in court again next Monday.
At the end of her court appearance, Elder said, “Thank you, your honour.”