Accused had blood alcohol level more than double legal limit

A prominent Pembroke dentist had a blood alcohol level more than two times the legal limit after a crash that killed an Ottawa man, an OPP breathalyzer expert testified in court Tuesday.

Dr. Christy Natsis is charged with impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death and exceeding the legal blood-alcohol limit in the March 2011 crash that killed 50-year-old Bryan Casey of Ottawa.

OPP Constable Joe Limlaw testified Tuesday that he performed breathalyzer tests on Natsis more than two hours after the crash.

The first test showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.211, or 211 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, and a later test showed it at 0.19.

The legal limit for blood alcohol level is 0.08, or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

The court had earlier heard that the victim, Bryan Casey, might also have been impaired.

Defence lawyer Michael Edelson objected to the blood alcohol levels being introduced in court and said since Natsis' right to legal counsel was violated that night, the breathalyzer tests should be inadmissible.

The court had earlier heard that an OPP officer had interrupted Natsis a number of times while she spoke to a lawyer while at the Arnprior hospital. The officer later took the phone from her and hung up on the lawyer.