The magistrate gave his instructions to the jurors in anticipation of the prosecution’s evidence which will be presented in court on Tuesday morning.
The prosecution, represented by Me Jérôme Simard and Me Isabelle Gavioli, will call a dozen witnesses to the stand. The Crown provides two weeks to present its evidence. The trial could last four to five weeks. The defense is provided by Me Camille Marceau-Bouchard and Me Hugo Caissy, two legal aid lawyers.
The facts
The victim, Jean-Philippe Bélanger, was allegedly stabbed in a residence on 7th Street West in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. The 42-year-old man was taken by ambulance to the local hospital. But, given the severity of his injuries, the ambulance was redirected to a hospital outside the region, where he died of his injuries three days later.
Kevin Labrie was arrested at the scene of the attack. The man, who is well known to police, appeared in court the next day to face four charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault for wounding, mutilating and disfiguring his victim as well as failure to respect of its conditions. On June 13, 2022, these charges were dropped. Labrie, who has 25 criminal and penal files, was then formally accused of second-degree murder. The man from Sainte-Anne-des-Monts has been detained since his arrest, two and a half years.
If convicted, Kevin Labrie faces a sentence of life in prison. He could be eligible for parole after a minimum of 10 years in prison.
Belgium
