Dr. Brian Nadler had been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and four counts of criminal negligence causing death in connection with the deaths of four people in March 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. He pleaded not guilty to each charge Tuesday morning. The first murder charge was laid in March 2021 while the other three were laid in August 2022.
“You are innocent of these charges. You are free to go,” Ontario Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips told him Tuesday morning at the Ottawa courthouse as he delivered the acquittal.
Dr. Brian Nadler’s attorney, Brian Greenspan. (Simon Séguin-Bertrand/Le Droit)
His lawyer, Brian Greenspan, told reporters that since the time of his arrest, Dr. Nadler has maintained that the four people died of COVID-19 “and that he provided excellent palliative care.”
“The four pathologists who conducted the post-mortem examinations are experts who concluded, unequivocally, that in each case, the cause of death was COVID-19 or COVID-19 associated with other medical conditions. An additional independent review of the four cases was conducted by the Chief Pathologist of Ontario and the conclusion confirmed that all four patients died of COVID-19. None of these deaths were caused by the toxic effects of medications,” added the doctor’s lawyer, while specifying that the medication prescribed by his client would not have caused the four deaths, according to another expert report.
“Each of the deaths is a tragic result of the virulent Delta strain of COVID-19 at Hawkesbury General Hospital in March 2021,” he added. “It is also tragic that Dr. Nadler’s life and reputation have been overshadowed for the past three years by the innuendo and suspicion surrounding these deaths.”
Little hope for a guilty verdict
The Crown was left with little hope of securing a guilty verdict after the court refused to call a witness from it because he was not properly qualified.
The Crown still has the option of appealing the acquittal verdict.
Dr. Nadler’s medical license was suspended by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario following the allegations.
“My client doesn’t have a specific plan right now. He’s probably going to, first of all, try to fully recover from this experience, which was very, very difficult. It was a traumatic time in his life. I’m sure he’s going to want to make a very positive contribution to the community,” said Greenspan on behalf of his client, who did not speak to reporters.
