Daniella Leis, 23, of Kitchener leaves the London courthouse after a brief appearance, October 2, 2019. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News)Daniella Leis, 23, of Kitchener leaves the London courthouse after a brief appearance, October 2, 2019. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News)
London

OEV explosion case put over to January

The case against the Kitchener woman charged in connection with a massive explosion in London’s Old East Village will return to a London court in eight weeks.

Daniella Leis' defence requested that the case be put off until January 29 to allow time to review a 250 page report on the August 14 blast it just received from the London Fire Department.

A representative for Leis' defence lawyer Richard Braiden made the request during a brief appearance at the London courthouse on Wednesday. Leis was not present for the hearing.

The 23-year-old woman is facing a total of 12 charges -- four counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm, four counts of driving with more than the legal limit of alcohol in her blood causing bodily harm, and four counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

Leis was arrested the night of the gas explosion on Woodman Avenue. Charges against her were filed the following day.

The blast happened minutes after a vehicle, which had been reportedly driving the wrong way on Queens Avenue, crashed into a home at 450 Woodman Ave., severing a gas line. The initial blast levelled 450 Woodman, while homes at 448 Woodman and 452 Woodman were torn down by crews in the days that followed.

A total of seven people – four firefighters, two police officers, and one civilian – were hurt in the explosion.

More than 100 homes in the area had to be evacuated as a precaution.

Read More Local Stories