The previous homeowner of a seniors’ residence in Beaconsfield now faces nine criminal charges at the Montreal court, with two counts accusing her of poisoning two individuals residing there.
Pamela Kooblall, aged 66 from Pierrefonds, appeared in court for the first time in November after being investigated by the Montreal police. She is charged with a total of nine offenses, which include three accusations of assault and three allegations of neglecting to supply basic needs to individuals under her supervision throughout 2023.
As per legal documents, her initial hearing was set for April 16, and she is currently slated to decide in June if she wishes to proceed with a trial. If she chooses to do so, she must specify whether the trial should involve both a judge and a jury, or just a judge independently.
Based on records from the Quebec enterprise register, Kooblall was the exclusive proprietor of Résidence Alps, a privately-run care facility situated in a building on Beaconsfield Boulevard. This business functioned during the period spanning 2015 through 2023, after which the ownership of the premises transferred to someone else.
It is claimed that Kooblall carried out these offenses from January through October 2023. According to one accusation, she reportedly used or threatened to use a weapon during an attack on one victim. Other accusations state that she allegedly gave “a poison, a damaging substance, or something harmful” to the three victims with the intention of distressing or irritating them.
She is additionally accused of entering false information into a medical record.
A report submitted in 2022 by the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) indicated that the facility offered both medical and social services with a focus on providing long-term care specifically designed for independent elderly residents. According to this document, these senior citizens were capable of moving about unassisted; however, those whose mobility declined would have been transferred elsewhere. Nonetheless, during 2022, two individuals residing there required assistance when going to the restroom.
When CNESST conducted their inspection, the entryway to the house was secured shut as Kooblall informed an inspector, stating that several occupants had been diagnosed with dementia.
The inspection report submitted in October 2022 concluded that there were no issues with how the residence was being managed.
Kooblall’s attorney was unavailable for remarks on Friday. Previously this week, he informed La Presse that Kooblall would have nothing further to say about the case.
