Paul Bernardo, convicted schoolgirl killer, in court on weapon charge

Convicted killer Paul Bernardo has been charged with possessing a weapon in prison, court documents show.

Bernardo, 53, known as the schoolgirl killer and Scarborough rapist in the early 1990s, made a brief court appearance by video link on Friday in provincial court in Napanee, Ont. He's scheduled to make a second appearance on the chargein May.

Court documents indicate the alleged offence took place on Feb. 9. Bernardo allegedly had"a homemade shank composed of a screw and a pen for a handle."

The serial killer and rapist is serving a life sentence at a maximum security prison in Millhaven, Ont.

The charge filed against Bernardo possession of weapon for dangerous purpose comes with a maximum sentence of 10 years. Nothing has been proven in court at this time.

On Sept. 1, 1995, Bernardo was convicted of two first-degree murders in the deaths of Kristin French, 15, and Leslie Mahaffy, 14, and two aggravated sexual assaults. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for at least 25 years and designated a dangerous offender, which makes it unlikely he will ever be released.

The lawyers representing the families of his victimssay Bernardo's chances at parole are "between zero and nil."

In 2015, Bernardo made headlines by finding a way to self-publish a book, a 631-page fictional and violent thriller, on Amazon. The book was quickly pulled.