The bus driver accused of killing two children by storming into a daycare center in Laval must be assessed to analyze if he can appear.
• Also read: Laval tragedy: is the bus driver criminally responsible or not?
Pierre Ny St-Amand is therefore sent to the Philippe Pinel Institute for an examination of his mental state.
The accused appeared at the Laval courthouse on Friday morning, confused and with his hair disheveled.
This is St-Amand’s first appearance since the night he was arrested nine days ago.
According to our information, the defendant’s lawyer, Me Julien Lespérance Hudon, should first request a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether his client could be held criminally responsible for the crimes he is accused of.
However, events in the past few hours have changed the situation, we learned. In particular, the defendant’s mental condition had been assessed as unstable by the defense before he was brought before the judge this morning.
- Listen to the court broadcast with Nicole Gibeault live daily at 11:10 a.m. via QUB radio :
“I had a meeting with him yesterday. At the time I thought he was negotiable, whereas today I don’t get any answers from him,” Me Lespérance Hudon said during the performance.
He mentioned that the defendant’s condition was changing from day to day.
Pierre Ny St-Amand faces two counts of first-degree murder, aggravated assault and attempted death of daycare residents on February 8.
That morning, around 8:30 a.m., the driver of the Société de transport de Laval drove to the Sainte-Rose day-care center. Little Jacob Gauthier, 4 years old, and Maëva David, 5 years old, died there.
The little boy’s funeral was celebrated in complete privacy on Thursday at the Sainte-Rose-de-Lima church.
Pierre Ny St-Amand will appear before a judge again next Friday.
– With Jonathan Tremblay
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