The jury at the Steeve Gagnon trial came to a unanimous verdict: guilty all over the line.
Steeve Gagnon was found guilty of the three counts of first degree murder and two counts for attempted murder of which he was targeted.
The sequestered jurors since Thursday evening did not believe the 40 -year -old man who said he had struck 12 pedestrians, including three deadly, by “accident” on March 13, 2023. They did not believe that he had simply leaned in his van to pick up an object, killing a first pedestrian before losing all memory.
The proof raised by the investigators was enough. The videos found in the cell phone of the trucker, in which he speaks of crushing children by dozens in the school lessons of Amqui have certainly weighed heavy.
His car was also captured by a camera in the parking lot of the versatile a few minutes before the drama. It was an educational day. No “Morveux”, as Gagnon called them, was at school that day.
According to the Crown, the man went to “take revenge against society” therefore fell back on the city center of the small town of 6000 inhabitants. The first group he struck was made up of a family, including two young children who got away with minor miracle injuries.
“When I started to see the bodies off, I had four times time to say” Oh my God “, because he did not stop, he continued,” remembered a witness to the Truck Truck.
The crime scene extended over 300 meters. Gagnon struck a first group of pedestrians, then another 120 m further, then yet another 180 m further. The witnesses said that he accelerated with his Ford 150 before hitting them.
Guilty over the whole line, therefore. Guilty of the first degree murders of Jean Lafrenière, 73, Gérald Charest, 65, and Simon-Guillaume Bourget, 41 years old. Also guilty of having tried to cause the death of the other nine other happed pedestrians that day.
Specific wish
The first degree murder automatically leads to a perpetuity imprisonment, without the possibility of parole before 25 years.
The jurors therefore answered the vow of Gagnon who, visibly exasperated by the procedures of the justice system, had claimed in court ten days ago to end his torture.
“Take off your fingers in the ass, moves on, sends that in deliberation,” he had shouted in the direction of judge Louis Dionne, who knew how to keep his calm along the trial.
“Let them hug me 25 years, I smarked on it, I want to go to have an operation. There, I hug my camp, I’m disgusted, it ends there. Send the Ostia good to nothing in deliberation and shout your camp to me. »»
The idea of ​​being operated on is central in this terrible story. Gagnon said they have been suffering from back pain for months. He asked to have an operation, even if a first magnetic resonance imaging examination had not detected anything requiring an operation.
Service Canada had heard him able to return to work two days a week. But his employer could not justify reserving a truck for a part -time worker. Gagnon had sent the civil servant assigned to his file to Service Canada. At the time of the drama, he had just learned that he was losing his employment insurance services.
The trucker had no more income, accumulated debts and began to receive calls from recovery agencies.
In fury against doctors, against the government, Gagnon therefore struck innocent pedestrians with his 5000 pound vehicle.
The attack strongly marked the community. The jurors were able to experience it themselves. At the very end of the trial, when they ate a Rimouski restaurant on the midday time, a woman launched them: “Send it inside for 25 years!” »»
Judge Dionne had to bring each juror one by one. He wanted to ensure, with the lawyers of the crown Simon Blanchette and Jérôme Simard as well as with the defense lawyer, Hugo Caissy, that each juror was able to make a free and enlightened decision.
