Laval daycare bus attack driver remains at Pinel, next court date in August

The man who allegedly deliberately drove his bus into a Laval daycare in February, killing two young children, and injuring six others, was expected back in court Tuesday, but it’s been postponed until August 22.

At his last hearing April 26, both the prosecution and defense requested more time to study the psychiatric report that had been completed by the Institut Philippe-Pinel – which had been evaluating Pierre Ny St-Amand’s mental state at the time of his alleged crimes and his fitness to stand trial. He now remains at the Institut.

The report had been delivered that morning, but both parties did not have the time to consult it.

The judge delayed the hearing until June 13 and sealed the 22-page report – which remains sealed.

The disclosure of evidence has yet to be completed, which includes expertise on the bus involved in the crash.

“Basically we don’t have all the evidence right now, there’s still expertise to be made, for example regarding the bus, so that’s why we asked for a postponement today, and we asked for August to have follow up before the fall,” explained defense lawyer Julien Lespérance Hudon outside the courtroom Tuesday.

He added that St-Amand has been able to have conversations with him.

---

RELATED:

• Psychiatric evaluation completed for man accused of crashing bus into Laval daycare
  
• Laval daycare bus attack driver: court grants extension for evaluation on criminal responsibility
  
• Laval daycare bus attack driver deemed fit to stand trial after psych evaluation

---

The prosecution could not say whether the psychiatric report would be made public at the next hearing August 22.

“I’m not in a position to tell you on August 22nd where we’ll be in the steps. It’s ongoing. It’s two months away so it’s possible that it will advance and we can go further in the file. But I can’t promise anything,” Crown prosecutor Karine Dalphond said.

Dalphond added the investigation is ongoing and does not change based on that psychiatric report.

St-Amand was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, as well as seven other counts, including attempted murder and aggravated assault, after allegedly driving his Société de transport de Laval bus into the Garderie Éducative Sainte-Rose on February 8, 2023.

St-Amand was judged fit to stand trial on February 24, after an initial psychiatric evaluation, but his lawyer, Julien Lespérance Hudon, asked for another assessment to help determine his mental state at the time of the alleged crime and whether the accused should be held criminally responsible for his actions.