Maxime Bujold, who barely reacted when the verdict was announced, was sentenced to life in prison. “The Crown is very satisfied with the verdict. Especially satisfied for the family who will be able to turn this page. They have been waiting for the result of this judicial process for almost four years, so the family could not have hoped for better,” commented the prosecutor of the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP), Me Geneviève Beaudin, a few minutes after the jury’s decision, which was only sequestered for about twenty hours to make its decision.
Even though Maxime Bujold was not found guilty of first-degree murder, which would have automatically earned him life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years, Me Beaudin was not disappointed. “There is no disappointment with the verdict today,” she added.
The defendant’s lawyers declined to comment on the verdict to the newspaper.
It remains to be determined when Maxime Bujold will be able to request conditional release. On this subject, submissions on sentencing took place on Monday, September 23, in the afternoon; the Crown is asking that the accused serve between 15 and 17 years before requesting release, while the defence is asking for 12 years. During the arguments, the accused, visibly offended by a comment from the Crown prosecutor, lost his temper and interrupted her, which caused a suspension of the hearing. Judge Yvan Poulin will render his decision on Tuesday, September 1er october.
Knife, Gas Can and Self-Defense
On the morning of January 22, 2021, Maxime Bujold showed up in Saint-Ours, at the home of his ketamine dealer, to whom he owed a debt, with a knife in his pockets. Following a fight, the accused stabbed Yannick Bricout-Tremblay 14 times, who succumbed to his injuries shortly after. The accused admitted his crime during the police interrogation.
The Crown tried, during the trial and the arguments that took place on Monday, September 16, to convince the jury that the act was premeditated, especially since Maxime Bujold had previously stopped at a gas station to fill up a can of gasoline. A tool that he would then use to burn down the house in order to “try to hide the evidence,” according to the prosecution.
The accused’s lawyer, Martin Latour, argued at length that his client was in self-defense, but the jury did not buy that theory. However, he convinced the jurors that his client had not premeditated the act, so he was not found guilty of first-degree murder, but of second-degree murder. In his closing arguments, he mentioned, among other things, that his client had no money problems or motive for killing his friend. He also mentioned a problem with his gas tank when he bought the can of gas.
With the collaboration of Alexandre Brouillard
