Doctors will evaluate the mental state of Pierre Ny St-Amand, the bus driver accused of intentionally ramming a Laval daycare with a city bus, killing two children, to determine whether he is fit to stand trial.
St-Amand appeared at the Laval courthouse on Friday morning shackled and accompanied by four special constables, two of whom held his arms in the prisoner’s box. His hair was messy and his eyes drooped and closed during his appearance. He struggled to stand and shuffled slowly when he was brought into the room.
His defence lawyer, Julien Lespérance Huron, asked Quebec Superior Court Justice Carol Richer to order a psychiatric evaluation, which the judge granted. The evaluation is to be conducted by the Philippe-Pinel institute before next Friday, Feb. 24, when St-Amand is scheduled to appear in court again.
Lespérance Hudon said that some days he was able to communicate with St-Amand. He said he had an hour-and-a-half conversation with him on Thursday, but today, he told the judge, motioning to St-Amand, the accused was completely non-communicative.
Last Wednesday, St-Amand, a Laval transit bus driver, plowed his bus into the Garderie Éducative de Sainte-Rose at around 8:30 a.m., just as parents were dropping off their children.
St-Amand was subdued at the scene by parents who said he was agitated, delirious and tearing off his clothes. He was then arrested by Laval police.
He is facing two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm.
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