Judge orders psych evaluation for bus driver charged in Laval daycare tragedy
Posted February 17, 2023 9:12 am.
Last Updated February 18, 2023 12:17 pm.
The man who faces nine charges in connection with the daycare bus attack that killed two young children, and injured six other children, in Laval court on Friday morning. His lawyer asking for a psychological evaluation to be done at the Philippe-Pinel Institute to see if he is fit to stand trial.
Pierre Ny St-Amand faces two counts of first-degree murder charges, and one attempted murder charge for every person who was in the building at the time he drove his Société de transport de Laval (STL) bus into the Garderie Éducative Ste-Rose on Feb. 8.
The 51-year-old also faces charges of aggravated assault.
On Friday, St-Amand appeared in person, escorted by four correctional officers. His eyes remained closed most of the time and his appearance disheveled. His demeanour was trancelike, and he showed no outward reaction to where he was or what was happening. He had a hard time moving, limping even, and his lawyer, Julien Lespérance Hudon, had trouble communicating with him. He described his client as unstable and with varying levels of communication from day-to-day, which he said called into question his ability to stand trial.
“Yesterday, I had a meeting with him that lasted about an hour and a half, and at that moment I judged … he was fit to stand trial,” Lespérance Hudon told the judge. “This morning, as you see, I’m not able to enter into contact with him and to get answers from him.”
He also asked the judge to formally appoint him as St-Amand’s lawyer, since he said he wasn’t always able to get clear permission to represent him.
“During the past week, the state of Mr. St. Amand was very variable,” said Karine Dalphond, crown prosecutor. “Even today, we were able to see his state when he arrived in court.”
(Credit: Facebook/Pierre Ny St-Amand)
The prosecutor, Karine Dalphond, said after the hearing that it was evident today when the detainee arrived that he was having some difficulties and she did not object to the defence’s ask for an evaluation.
Judge Carol Richer ordered the psych evaluation and he will be transferred to the Philippe-Pinel Institute the – to be completed within five days – and St-Amand is to return to court Feb. 24.
“We just want to know if this person, this individual is mentally and psychologically fit to stand in the courtroom,” says criminal defence lawyer, Kwadwo Yeboah.
He will now be transferred to the Institut national de psychiatrie légale Philippe-Pinel de Montréal for evaluation.
Since the law allows a maximum of five days for this type of order, the accused will be back in court next Friday.
“A psychologist is going to advise the court of their findings, probably advise the defence of their findings, and then tell the judge, ‘Hey, this individual, after conducting our analysis on him, we believe that he’s ready and understand the procedure. Therefore, he can stand for his trial,’ or they can be, ‘Hey, this person up through the analysis, we don’t think he’s ready or knows the procedure. We don’t think he’s ready to stand trial,’ says Yeboah. “So he’ll be remanded and come back at a later date when he’s deemed fit or understand what’s going on with the procedures.”
The court appearance comes one day after a funeral was held for four-year-old Jacob Gauthier, who died in the crash. Details of a service for the other victim, 5-year-old Maëva David, have not been announced.
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On the day of the incident, St-Amand was charged late that same afternoon. He had appeared via video from his hospital bed at Sacré-Coeur. During that hearing, the police officer in the room with St-Amand said the accused hit him because “he was mad” – adding “he is no longer cooperating.”
The judge had ordered the accused be in court – in person – for his next hearing Feb. 17. The same requested by the defence for Feb. 24.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to see our client in prison,” said defence lawyer, Julien Lespérance Hudon. “So a court date is really easy for me to bring him here and be able to talk to him.”
On the scene of the crash, witnesses said the suspect removed all his clothes and was yelling. A few citizens worked to subdue the man until police arrived. They also helped officers get St-Amand into the police cruiser as they had difficulties with the suspect.
After his hospital stay, St-Amand was transported to a detention centre where he has been in isolation and surveillance for his own security according to Radio-Canada.
With files from The Canadian Press
