The trial of Brian Nadler, the Quebec doctor accused of killing four people, including Rigaud resident Claire Brière, while working at the Hawkesbury General Hospital, will be held in Ottawa in 2024.
According to the Ottawa Citizen, Ontario Superior Court Justice Calum Macleod finally settled in favor of the defense, which had asked that the trial be held elsewhere.
Judge MacLeod noted: "It is true that in a high-profile case involving the regional hospital and four deceased patients, drawing a jury from the limited pool of jurors in Prescott and Russell creates an increased risk that potential jurors may have conflicts of interest".
The length of the trial, the lack of available accommodations in the small municipality of L'Orignal and the fact that the municipal courthouse is not adapted to hold such a major trial are some of the reasons cited to explain the change.
Brian Nadler was arrested in March 2021 on charges of first-degree murder of a patient. By July 2022, the OPP had announced three other murders, including that of Ms. Brière.