Prescott man charged with murder of brother

Ontario Provincial Police have charged a Prescott, Ont., man with first-degree murder in the death of his brother, who relied on a wheelchair to get around.

James Hawley, 41, died in May, 2008, due to what a coroner said was pneumonia, starvation and infected bedsores.

After a two-year investigation, Grenville OPPcharged Jerry Hawley, 36, who was his older brother's guardian at the time of his death. The older Hawley was in a wheelchair due to a previous injury.

"We always conduct a very thorough investigation," said OPP Sgt. Kristine Rae.

"We do not charge people unless we have reasonable and probable grounds to lay those charges," she said.

"Jamie Hawley depended completely on his guardian, which was Jerry Hawley, for everything, for accessibility, for food, for transportation. He was completely dependent on his brother," Rae said.

Jerry Hawley made a first appearance at a Brockville, Ont., courtroom Thursday. Initial reports saidHawley wasscheduled to appear in court again Friday, but his next appearancehas been delayed until next week.