Murder trial: Al Ballouz guilty across the board

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The jury rendered its verdict on Monday at the Longueuil courthouse: Mohamad Al Ballouz was found guilty of the second degree murder of his wife, Synthia Bussière, and their two children in September 2022, in Brossard.

He is also guilty of arson.

Deliberations began Saturday in this trial, presided over by Judge Eric Downs.

Ballouz faced four counts: unpremeditated murder of his wife, Synthia Bussières (38 years old); premeditated murders of his sons, Zack and Eliam Al Ballouz (2 and 5 years old respectively); and arson.

In this trial, which lasted five weeks, the accused (who now identifies as a woman and asks to be called Levana Ballouz) represented himself alone.

During the pleadings, Ballouz alleged that Synthia Bussières had killed their two boys.

But on Monday, jurors went to the Crown's arguments and concluded that the 38-year-old man committed second-degree murder against Synthia Bussières and that he subsequently premeditated the murders of his two children Zack and Eliam, before setting the fire.

Mohamad Al Ballouz was arrested by police officers from the Longueuil Agglomeration Police Service (SPAL) at the scene of the crime following the triggering of a fire alarm in the building where his partner and their two children resided.

With information from Amélie Desmarais