Daycare drama in Laval: an orderly psychiatric assessment
Mr. Pierre Ny St-Amand appeared this afternoon at the Laval courthouse where the judge ordered that the accused be subjected to a psychiatric examination to determine his fitness to stand trial.
The designated lawyer for the accused, Me Julien Lespérance Hudon, argued in court today that there were reasonable grounds to believe that evidence as to his client’s mental state was necessary to determine his fitness to stand trial.
The lawyer told Judge Carol Richer that Mr. St-Amand’s psychological state had deteriorated considerably in the space of two meetings he had with him. The day before the hearing, Me Lespérance Hudon managed to talk for nearly an hour and a half with his client, whereas today, the person concerned did not seem in any way receptive to the interactions initiated by his legal adviser.
Deeming that the doubts raised by the defense lawyer were reasonable, Judge Richer ordered that Mr. Ny St-Amand be transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Psychiatry Philippe-Pinel to undergo a mental assessment. He will be detained until his next in-person appearance on Friday, February 24, during which the mental evaluation evidence will be considered by the court.
The 51-year-old is currently facing nine charges after hitting the Garderie éducation Ste-Rose, in Laval, while driving a Société de transport de Laval bus. Two children died as a result of this collision and several others were injured.
