Quebecer accused of killing 2 kids in daycare with bus should not face trial: lawyer

The lawyer for a Quebec man accused of killing two four-year-olds by driving a city bus into a Montreal-area daycare says he hopes his client won't have to stand trial.

Julien Lesperance Hudon told a Laval, Que., court today that the prosecution has finished disclosing evidence and a preliminary hearing can be scheduled for the spring.

He told reporters he will argue during the upcoming hearing that his client, Pierre Ny St-Amand, should not face trial, but declined to provide further detail.

St-Amand, 51, faces two counts of first-degree murder and charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault after a city bus crashed into a Laval daycare on Feb. 8, killing two four-year-olds and injuring six other children.

The accused, who did not appear in court today, is detained at a Montreal psychiatric hospital and will return to court for a case management hearing on Nov. 29.

An evaluation assessing St-Amand's mental state at the time of his alleged crimes and whether he should be considered criminally responsible was sealed by a judge in April.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2023.