Hart behaved 'strangely' after daughters' drownings, nurse testifies

As the defence began calling witnesses Tuesdayfor a Newfoundland man charged in the deaths of his twin daughters, a nurse testified that Nelson Hart was "acting strangely" after their bodies were brought to a hospital.

Hart is being tried on two counts of first-degree murder involving the August 2002 drowning deaths of thethree-year-olds, Krista and Karen, at Gander Lake in central Newfoundland.

The defence is arguing that the girls drowned accidentally and that Hart's unusual behaviour during and afterthe incident stemmed from an epileptic seizure and its after-effects.

Hope Maloney, a nurse at the hospital in Gander where the girls' bodies were brought, testified Tuesday that Hartwas "acting strangely" when he arrived at the facility.

Maloney told theSupreme Court jury in Gander that Hartbegan looking under stretchers and trying to open drawers.

She testified that she asked him if he needed to go to the washroom buthe replied that he didn't and told her he was"just having a spell."

Although thenurse described Hart's actions as strange, she didn't describe them as an "epileptic seizure."

The court also heard evidence Tuesday morning from a doctor who saidseizures can happen in clusters.

Hart originally told police he'd seen Krista fall off the dock into the water and, because he couldn't swim, droveback to Gander to get his wife. This raised some suspicions because his wife also couldn't swim and Hart passed other people along his drive to Gander.

Seven weeks after the deaths, Hart told police he wanted to talk to them again about the events of that day. Inthe later interview, Hart said he never saw Krista fall into the water. Instead, he said that after he took the girls to the park and got them out of the car, he had an epileptic seizure and blacked out.

In his second version of events, Hart said that when he came around, Krista was already in the water and he drove back to Gander to get his wife.

The court had previously heard an undercover RCMP officer, who was part of an elaborate sting operation focused on Hart, testify that he witnessed Hart have a brief epileptic seizure.

The officer, whose identity is protected by court order, told the jury about an evening when Hart seemed panicky and then becamenon-responsive, appearing to stareright through the officer.

Theofficer said Hart later snapped out of it.

Hart's trial began Feb. 27. Final arguments are expected early next week.