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Ontario doctor facing three more murder charges as police probe hospital deaths

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The Hawkesbury Hospital is seen in Hawkesbury, Ont., on March 30, 2021. An eastern Ontario doctor is facing three more murder charges as an earlier court case involving the alleged killing of an patient continues. Ontario Provincial Police say they have laid three first-degree murder charges against Dr. Brian Nadler. New charges are related to the deaths of 80-year-old Claire Briere, 79-year-old Lorraine Lalande and 93-year-old Judith Lungulescu. Nadler was accused last year of killing 89-year-old Albert Poidinger at the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital and is currently before the courts on that murder charge. Police say the new charges were discovered following the investigation into Poidinger's death at the hospital that began last March. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

An eastern Ontario doctor accused of killing a patient last year was charged Wednesday with three more counts of first-degree murder.

Ontario Provincial Police said the new charges against Dr. Brian Nadler relate to the deaths of 80-year-old Claire Briere, 79-year-old Lorraine Lalande and 93-year-old Judith Lungulescu.

Police declined to provide more details, including when and where the three died, citing the ongoing investigation.

Nadler, 35, was initially charged with first-degree murder in March 2021 in the death of 89-year-old Albert Poidinger at the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital.

Police said at the time that they were investigating the doctor in connection with several other deaths at the hospital.

Nadler was released on bail in July of last year and arrested on the new charges Wednesday.

Nadler's lawyers said he was released Wednesday afternoon under the same conditions as before, including that he remain in Canada, reside at an approved address and notify police of any address change.

He is also forbidden from practising medicine and from communicating with employees, patients and relatives of patients at the Hawkesbury hospital.

In an emailed statement, lawyers Brian Greenspan, David Humphrey and Naomi Lutes said they will mount a vigorous defence against the allegations.

"All four patients died of COVID-19 and Dr. Nadler provided excellent palliative care. When the facts are fully presented, we are confident that he will be vindicated," the statement read.

The case is set to return to court on Sept. 7. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2022. 

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version mistakenly said Nadler was initially charged last March, when in fact it was in March 2021.


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