HALIFAX — An RCMP forensic scientist says the Halifax man at the centre of a high-profile chemical scare that led to evacuations in two cities had enough chemicals to make 11 different types of explosives.
Melanie Brochu told Nova Scotia Supreme Court today that the accused, Christopher Phillips, did not appear to be making any explosives when she examined hundreds of chemicals stored in a shed east of Halifax.
Phillips is charged with threatening police officers and possessing a weapon - the hazardous chemical osmium tetroxide - for a dangerous purpose.
On Jan. 19, Phillips's wife told police she was worried about his mental health and that she feared for the safety of her family because he possessed a large stockpile of chemicals.
Neighbourhoods in Halifax and Grand Desert, N.S., were subsequently evacuated and Phillips was arrested in Jan. 21 in an Ottawa hotel after it was evacuated by police, but no chemicals were found there.
Brochu testified that osmium tetroxide is a toxic, corrosive chemical that can be deadly if swallowed.
