Woman accused of cyclist’s death didn’t have to wait long for trial: judge

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The trial of a West Island man accused of driving under the influence in the death of a cyclist in Pierrefonds will continue after a Quebec court judge ruled Friday that it was not long enough to get the case underway.

The trial of Christine Pryde, 32, of Île-Bizard, began in June. She is charged with dangerous driving and negligence causing the death of Irène Dehem, a mother of three who was fatally struck by a Hyundai Accent shortly after noon on May 18, 2021, while driving on l’Anse-à-l’Orme Rd.

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The Crown’s theory is that Pryde took medication for anxiety before getting behind the wheel of the vehicle.

After hearing the prosecution’s evidence over the course of several days, Quebec Court Judge Dennis Galiatsatos also heard a motion June 13 from defence lawyer Jessy Héroux. Héroux argued that the case took too long to get to trial and asked for a stay of proceedings on the charges.

The defence lawyer argued, among other things, that it would not be possible to hold the trial before April due to too few judges in the Montreal court.

On Friday, Galiatsatos dismissed the motion during a short hearing and entered his 56-page decision into the court record.

A few weeks before the trial began, the judge raised concerns about an amendment to the French Language Charter that went into effect June 1. With the change, Quebec judges hearing cases in English are required to provide a French translation of their decisions made in English at the same time. Galiatsatos feared that the time it would take for court services to provide an official French translation of the decision he ultimately makes would cause an unnecessary and lengthy delay and give Pryde grounds to seek a stay of proceedings.

Pryde made her first court appearance on the charges on March 30, 2022. Deadlines set by the Supreme Court of Canada require a person charged with a crime in provincial court to be tried within 18 months, but that deadline can be extended for several reasons, including if the defence has not previously raised concerns about the length of time it takes to set a trial date.

The decision on the application to stay the proceedings was drawn up in English only.

The hearing will return to the docket on July 19.

This article will be updated.

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