Trial of doctor charged with sex assaults adjourned again

The trial of a rural Manitoba doctor accused of sexually assaulting several of his female patients was adjourned yet again Monday, prompting a judge to question whether the proceeding can be completed in the four weeks that have been set aside for it.

Dr. Arcel Bissonnette has been charged with a total of 22 counts of sexual assault against female patients in Ste. Anne between 2004 and 2017. He is on trial before King’s Bench Justice Anne Turner on six counts, with the balance of the charges to be dealt with separately at a later date.

The trial was adjourned four times last week after Bissonnette’s defence team raised concerns about missing evidence: the notebooks of the lead Saint-Anne Police Department investigator. Defence lawyers told Turner they would be seeking a judicial stay of proceedings on the grounds of abuse of process and late disclosure.

On Monday, Crown attorney Paul Girdlestone asked that the trial be adjourned until Wednesday.

“The Crown has started the process of consultation,” Girdlestone said. “That will be done expeditiously and we are hoping to attend Wednesday morning and at that time we do not expect any further adjournment requests.”

The trial began Jan. 9 and is set for four weeks.

“If the Crown were to begin calling evidence Wednesday, is there any hope of this trial finishing on time?” Turner asked Girdlestone.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Shelley Cook | Uplift

Wednesdays

A review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe.

Sign up for Shelley Cook | Uplift

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

“That is really the main driver of conversations at this point,” Girdlestone said.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca

Dean Pritchard
Courts reporter

Someone once said a journalist is just a reporter in a good suit. Dean Pritchard doesn’t own a good suit. But he knows a good lawsuit.

   Read full biography