No mental health assessment for man accused in Boxing Day death of girl

A Calgary man accused of killing a nine-year-old girl in a Boxing Day crash does not need a mental health assessment, a judge heard Friday. 

Duane Arlen John Nepoose, 30, faces 11 charges stemming from an incident on Dec. 26 that started with a pharmacy robbery. 

Nepoose is accused of fleeing in a stolen minivan and driving erratically, ultimately blowing a red light and crashing into a vehicle carrying a mother and her two daughters. 

The youngest girl, Victoria Desjardins, was killed in the crash. Her sister and mother were hospitalized in critical condition. 

• Family says 9-year-old killed in Boxing Day crash was 'bubbly and energetic'

At a court appearance earlier this week, defence lawyer Sam Taylor flagged potential mental health concerns for his client and asked for a court-ordered meeting with a psychiatrist, which took place Friday morning. 

After that meeting, Taylor told Justice Brandy Shaw that Nepoose was "deemed fit," meaning no further evaluation is needed. 

The case will be back in court in early February. 

Court records show Nepoose is facing several other sets of charges from earlier incidents, including possession of methamphetamine, carrying a concealed weapon, mischief and five breaches of court orders.