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Dr. Brian Nadler is expected to be acquitted of four murder charges Tuesday, one of his defence lawyers says.
Naomi Lutes, a member of Nadler’s defence team, said Friday that the trial will begin as scheduled, but Nadler’s acquittal is anticipated.
Nadler was charged with four counts of first degree murder, accused of killing Albert Poidinger, 89; Claire Brière, 80; Lorraine Lalande, 79; and Judith Lungulescu, 93 at the Hawkesbury & District General Hospital.
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The family of one of the victims was notified by the Crown about the impending acquittal on Thursday, according to a source who is a friend of the Poindinger family.
Hawkesbury OPP were first called to the hospital where Nadler worked on March 25, 2021, to investigate Poidinger’s death. Nadler was charged with Poidinger’s death within 24 hours, and at the time, police said the investigation pointed to multiple suspicious deaths at the hospital.
Three additional murder charges were laid in 2022. Police said Brière, Lalande and Lungulescu died “on or about” the same date that Poidinger died in 2021.
The trial was originally to take place in l’Original. In the fall of 2023, Nadler’s team successfully argued that the trial should be held in Ottawa, some 100km west of where the alleged crimes happened. The lawyers argued the L’Original courthouse was not suited for the large amount of electronic evidence that was expected to be presented to the jury, among other reasons. The L’Original courthouse, one of the oldest in Ontario still in daily use, has limited capacity for electronics, and few electrical outlets.
Nadler has maintained his innocence and has been out on bail since July 2021.
His legal team previously told media that Nadler provided “excellent palliative care” to the four patients, who they said died from COVID-19.
This newspaper contacted the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, and Crown prosecutors, but did not immediately receive a response.
— With Postmedia files
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