Montreal - Skver School firebomber returning to jail

Omar Bulphred suffers from Asperger syndrome, which could explain his attacks on two Montreal Jewish institutions and account for why he ended up in jail a month after serving his sentence, his lawyer told Quebec Court Tuesday.

Charles Montpetit said Bulphred is an “ill young man living in his own world” with difficulties connecting with others — a characteristic of Asperger’s, an autism spectrum disorder.

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty Tuesday to several charges, including trespassing and breaking conditions, and was sentenced to 13 months in jail, seven of which he’s already served while awaiting court hearings, leaving him with six months of jail time.

Bulphred came to Canada from Georgia when he was 10 and has known poverty and hunger, Montpetit said, adding Bulphred’s mother died in April 2011 and he has no other family here.

Bulphred, who pleaded guilty in 2009 for the 2006 firebombing of Skver-Toldos Orthodox Jewish Boys School in Outremont, and attempting to set off an explosion at the YM-YWHA Ben Weider Jewish Community Centre, also known as the Snowdon Y, in 2007, was released from prison last June.

On his way out, he signed an undertaking to keep the peace and not communicate with Correctional Service of Canada staff.

But in July, he was charged with five counts of trespassing, one of uttering threats, and one of breaking his conditions. He reportedly peeked into some homes and threatened one of the homeowners.

Two more charges were added Tuesday when it was discovered that Bulphred had written a letter to a staff member at the Leclerc Institution in Laval, telling him he had once again been arrested but thanking the staff member for all the help he had given Bulphred while incarcerated. He also wished the employee a Merry Christmas.

Once he’s completed his sentence on the most recent charges, Bulphred will be on probation for three years, during which time he’ll have to meet with a psychiatrist, is not allowed to have weapons, can’t associate with people with criminal records, and can’t contact a list of people working for CSC.

Crown prosecutor Steeve Larivière said the fact Bulphred will be supervised for three years once released should reassure the public.

“We believe he’s trying to get on the right track,” he said outside the courtroom.

Montpetit said while spending time at the Philippe Pinel Institute — a facility for inmates with psychological problems, Bulphred realized “he was living in his own world.”

People can be reassured by the fact Bulphred is co-operating in getting help for his problems, Montpetit said.

While investigating the fires, Montreal police found letters, written by Bulphred’s accomplice, in which both men declared jihad while demanding the liberation of 18 men arrested in 2006 on terrorism charges in Toronto.

The accomplice, Azim Abragimov, 29, pleaded guilty to three counts of using fire or an explosive to cause damage to property and one count of uttering threats to damage or destroy property. He was sentenced to the equivalent of a four-year prison term and three years’ probation.

No one was hurt in either fire.

Montreal gazette