A preliminary inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the deadly February 2023 Sainte-Rose daycare bus crash in which two pre-school children died got underway earlier this week.
Former STL bus driver Pierre Ny St-Amand, who has undergone extensive psychiatric evaluation while in custody since the Feb. 8 2023 incident, is the key suspect.
In addition to the two fatalities, six other children were seriously injured. St-Amand faces two charges of pre-meditated murder and a half-dozen more charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault.
Preliminary proceedings for the 52-year-old’s case are taking place in Saint-Jérôme north of Laval because of a lack of courtroom space currently at the Palais de Justice de Laval.
The Montreal daily Le Devoir reported earlier this week that a request by St-Amand’s lawyers that he be allowed to sit in court without handcuffs so he could write down notes was opposed by the head of security at the Saint-Jérôme courthouse, who said Saint-Amand’s behavior was known to be unpredictable.
He was fitted with a type of handcuffs which allowed him to move his hands more freely and take notes.
