Judge: Woman accused in cyclist’s death did not wait too long for trial

July 5, 2024

The trial of a West Island resident accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and killing a cyclist in Pierrefonds will continue after a Quebec court judge ruled Friday that the prosecution of the case had not taken too long.

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

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The prosecution’s theory is that Pryde took anti-anxiety medication before getting behind the wheel of her vehicle.

After hearing evidence from the prosecution over several days, Quebec Court Judge Dennis Galiatsatos also heard a motion from defence lawyer Jessy Héroux on June 13. Héroux argued that the case had taken too long to come to trial and requested a stay of proceedings on the charges.

The defence argued, among other things, that due to the shortage of judges at the Montreal court, it would be impossible to hold a trial before April.

On Friday, Galiatsatos denied the motion during a brief hearing and included his 56-page decision in the court records.

Weeks before the trial was set to begin, the judge raised concerns about a change to the Charter of the French Language that took effect June 1. The change requires Quebec judges who hear cases in English to simultaneously provide a French translation of their decisions made in English. Galiatsatos was concerned that the time it would take for the court to provide an official French translation of the decision it will ultimately make would cause an unnecessary and lengthy delay and give Pryde grounds to request a stay of proceedings.

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

The decision on the application for stay of proceedings was written exclusively in English.

The case will be heard again in court on July 19.

This article is being updated.

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