A young murderer who refused to testify to the trial of his accomplice by claiming memory holes will receive 15 months of detention. The defense throws blame on his post-traumatic shock and the “intense stress” caused by his stay in an adult prison.
“His intention was in no way to interfere deliberately to derail the trial or to help [Véronique] Manceaux, ”said the defense lawyer,e Sabrina Lapolla, Thursday at the Montreal courthouse.
This 21 -year -old Montrealer pleaded guilty to a rare accusation of court on Thursday. It is forbidden to identify him, since he was 17 years old when murdered a man in September 2021. Before the Youth Chamber, in 2023, he was sentenced to nine years of detention for first degree murder.
His victim, Jimmy Methot, experienced an abominable end. When the victim tried to flee his executioners, the teenager caught him and gave him a beating. An accomplice then stabbed him ten times in addition to torture him. The teenager and his band then cleaned the crime scene and hidden the body in a barrel in a house in the Lachine district in Montreal.
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Jimmy Methot Facebook photo
Jimmy Methot was killed in September 2021 in Montreal.
In April 2024, the teenager – then 20 years old – testified to the trial before jury of his accomplice Véronique Manceaux. He then pretends not to remember having pleaded guilty two years earlier. He even adds not to know the name of his victim.
Photo filed in evidence
This chicken pâté was given to Jimmy Metal as “last meal” before his death.
Despite the judge’s warnings, the young killer refuses to answer questions. However, he testified on this subject to the preliminary investigation. He says he has memory problems due to medicines taken months earlier. Judge Daniel Royer has enough and quotes it for the court.
According to rare case law in terms of court outrage, the sentences vary between one and three years’ imprisonment, while the maximum is five years. To justify this joint suggestion of 15 months of detention, the defense reported several mitigating factors, including the young age of the accused and his recognition of guilt.
The parties argued that his contempt in court had had no negative effect on the trial, since Véronique Manceaux was found guilty. “It may have affected the result,” said judge Royer. Miders of Mme Manceaux also called on the verdict.
According to his lawyer, the young murderer was in a state of “intense stress” when testifying, because his transition from the youth center to the Montreal adult prison was very difficult. In addition, he no longer took his medication and suffered from anxiety. According to his mother, he even lost 100 pounds. His lawyer, Me Lapolla, also mentioned the accused’s post-traumatic shock, without further details.
“I apologize for my behavior. It was not my intention. I understand that my conduct disrupted the trial. I apologize, “he said through his lawyer.
Exceptionally, two experienced criminalists, Me Giuseppe Battista and Me Robert Israel, acted as ad hoc prosecutors of the crown in this case to avoid any conflict of interests for the director of criminal and criminal proceedings (DPCP).
Justice Royer has already announced that he intends to follow the common suggestion of sentence. He will make his decision next month.
Photo Patrick Sanfaçon, La Presse
Tara Kusic, guilty of complicity after the facts
In addition, a third person involved in this murder pleaded guilty last month has an accusation of complicity after the facts. Tara Kusic helped the teenager and Véronique Manceaux to get rid of the victim’s body. The sentence observations are scheduled for next January.
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