The last of the six accused in connection with the arson in the Moisie sector will soon know if he can leave prison while awaiting his trial. Like the others before him, he underwent his release investigation on Wednesday, at the Sept-Îles courthouse.
The decision was deliberated by Judge Vicky Lapierre, after several hours of representations by the Crown lawyer, Marc Bérubé, and the defense lawyer, Marc Savard.
For a good part of the day, Lucas Bérubé, 19, remained handcuffed, seated behind Plexiglas panels, listening to the court debate his immediate future. He was arrested on October 16, on Route 138, east of Sept-Îles.
The Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, the DPCPopposed his release pending the conclusion of the trial. The defense lawyer, for his part, was cautious and did not want to make any comments outside the courtroom, other than that he intended to propose conditions of release to the judge.
The court has already established that three of the six accused in connection with the fire will remain detained until the end of the legal proceedings. They are Anthony Roy, Derek Lemay and Jonathan Gendron. According to Marc Bérubé, these individuals represent a risk to public safety and their detention was necessary to ensure that they would appear in court.
Two other people, Malory Fortin and Raphaël Bérubé, were released pending trial. This decision was made by mutual agreement between the defense and the crown prosecutor. The latter explains that they offered sufficient guarantees and conditions for the DPCP.
In the case of Lucas Bérubé, the decision should be made by Vicky Lapierre on Friday.
A death to be clarified, other leaders considered
No charges have yet been filed by the DPCP in direct connection with the death of the man whose body was discovered in the rubble of the burned house. The reason is simple: we do not know with certainty the causes of death at the moment.
Two months after the event, the court is still awaiting the analysis results from the Laboratory of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine, which will be crucial for the public prosecutor, who is already considering filing new charges.
The investigation is still ongoing
recalls Marc Bérubé.
The file is missing pieces to build the puzzle, so that the picture is as clear as possible, so that we can make the necessary accusations. […].
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Marc Bérubé, the DPCP prosecutor, is considering new charges, according to the results of analyzes from the Laboratory of Judicial Sciences and Legal Medicine, which he is still awaiting. (Archive photo)
Photo : - / Alban Normadin
The pieces of this puzzle are on display in the courtroom, but for the most part, they cannot get out. Evidence and facts presented during bail hearings are subject to a publication ban.
If some of the events leading up to the October 16 fire are known to the police, lawyers and judges on file, as well as to those who appear in court, they should not be revealed in broad daylight.
The mandate is to preserve the investigation, the sources, the information
explains Marc Bérubé. It’s a special environment, so you have to work very vigilantly.
The next step, orientation, will be in 2025. That’s when defendants must determine whether to plead guilty or not guilty to the charges filed against them.
