Marcel Potvin, 65, is accused of seriously injuring his 24-year-old neighbor by firing a gun into the ceiling of her apartment, in a building in Repentigny, last October. He will be able to regain his freedom while awaiting the continuation of the proceedings brought against him.
Judge Bruno Leclerc decided this on Friday, at the Joliette courthouse, on the recommendation of the defense and the Crown. Marcel Potvin’s freedom will, however, be closely supervised by a long series of conditions.
Potvin, who lived in a building in Repentigny, a suburb of Montreal, was arrested on October 18 after firing a 12-gauge rifle into the ceiling of his apartment around midnight. The projectile had passed through the two upper floors before hitting Angélique Croteau, 24, who was sleeping in her bed. She suffered serious injuries to her pelvis and internal organs.
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The young woman suffered injuries to her internal organs. His pelvis was also affected.
Photo: Stéphane Croteau
Marcel Potvin was arrested shortly after by the police. He was intoxicated by alcohol.
The man appeared in court on Friday in tears and in handcuffs.
Many conditions
Following representations from the defense and the Crown, the judge decided to grant him release pending further proceedings, but under numerous conditions, including the obligation to follow six months of closed therapy for treat a significant alcohol problem.
After this therapy, he will have to follow another one at an addiction treatment center.
He is prohibited from being in a place where there is an alcohol license, in Repentigny or in the places where Angélique Croteau or her family lives, studies or works. He cannot contact them in any way.
He is also prohibited from possessing or acquiring weapons.
It was his ex-partner who stood as guarantor for him before the Court to allow him to leave the prison walls while awaiting his trial.
We are talking about an event and a context in which there was clearly a fairly significant alcohol consumption problem in Mr. Potvin’s case. A problem that has been going on for some time. So, following discussions lasting several days, even several weeks, with Me Morin [de la Couronne]we agreed that it was the best solution in the short and medium term for Mr. to resolve his alcohol consumption problem to integrate closed therapy
explained Marcel Potvin’s lawyer, Me Félix Beauchemin.
His list of conditions is excessively restrictive, so Mr., for the first six months, must be in closed therapy. So 24 hours a day, he must be at this certified resource.
Even if he respects all these conditions to the letter, Marcel Potvin is far from being out of the woods. He faces six charges, the most serious of which alone could earn him 14 years in prison.
The man is accused:
- of having discharged a firearm without worrying about the presence or absence of a person;
- criminal negligence causing bodily harm;
- negligent use and storage of firearms;
- possession of weapons for dangerous purposes;
- impaired driving;
- and having had a blood alcohol level equal to or greater than 0.08.
The victim’s relatives were not present during the hearing and did not want to comment.
Marcel Potvin will be back in court on March 6.
With information from Audrey Neveu.
