We will hear the end of this sorry saga one day but not quite yet. Former Ontario pathologist Dr. Charles Smith is in the news again because yet another person whose life and reputation he messed by his incompetency has received deserved justice and vindication. A number of people were wrongly convicted and imprisoned because of the errors in his work. Six people whom he helped to convict have already been cleared of any offense since the investigations into his work began. There are six more cases in which Smith was involved that have yet to be revisited by the courts.
Richard Brant is 38 years old now. He is a truck driver. Richard Brant’s entire story cannot be told here but suffice it to say, Charles Smith’s report in 1993 was enough to place Brant under suspicion of manslaughter for which he would have received a lengthy prison term. Yes I did say “would have received,” but he didn’t receive the long prison term because he was informed that if he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault he would receive less time. That’s what he did. Pleaded guilty! (Pleaded is the legal verb form)
