Valleyfield man faces charges of murder, attempted murder
Emotions ran high in a Valleyfield courtroom on Thursday as two daughters watched their father being charged with the firstdegree murder of their mother as well as the attempted murder of four police officers.
Alain Castonguay, 72, made a brief appearance before a Quebec Court judge at the Valleyfield courthouse through a video linkup with a Sûreté du Québec police station in the same city.
He was charged with the firstdegree murder of Johanne Chayer, 65, (who recently described Castonguay as her fiancé on her Facebook page) and the attempted murder of four SQ officers who responded to a conjugal violence call at the couple’s home late Tuesday night. One of the officers was wounded by gunfire during the police operation.
Castonguay’s white hair was dishevelled and he wore a standard white coverall. He stared into the camera as the judge addressed him and fixed Oct. 30 as a date for the Crown to turn over more evidence to Jacques Vinet, Castonguay’s defence lawyer. The accused responded with one-word answers like “yes” and “OK” while answering the few questions put to him.
Several relatives were in attendance in the courtroom, including the couple’s two adult daughters. At least two young women among the group began sobbing when Castonguay’s image appeared on a largescreen television in the courtroom.
“Understanding the situation they find themselves in, it is very difficult,” prosecutor Hélène Langis told reporters after Castonguay appeared.
According to the charge sheet, the SQ officers Castonguay is charged with attempting to kill are Thomas Tremblay, Jean-Philippe Girard, Steven Fournier and Stéphane Côté.
On Thursday, SQ Sgt. Daniel Thibodeau said the injured officer is in stable condition in a hospital.
“He will have long-term consequences, but he is expected to recover. The doctors did an excellent job,” Thibodeau said.
Vinet said that, despite Castonguay’s physical appearance, he was able to have a quick exchange with his client at the police station before representing him in court.
“All I can say is that he was articulate and able to respond in a clear way to his lawyer. As you could see earlier (inside the courtroom), this is a family tragedy and it is really not easy,” Vinet told reporters, adding he could not say more about the case because he had taken it on less than two hours before Castonguay appeared before the judge.
According to court records, Chayer and Castonguay were granted a divorce during the summer of 1994.
They reportedly became a couple again recently and, based on a message Chayer apparently posted on Facebook on Aug. 1, she was delighted to have moved back in with Castonguay in June.
“I want to share my happiness. Since June 22, I have moved into our superb house. It’s a little love nest for me and my fiancé. I am full of gratitude to be living this. I want to thank life,” Chayer apparently wrote.
Included among the photos Chayer posted on her Facebook page recently was one of Castonguay standing in someone’s backyard, smiling while he looks at a smartphone in his hands. On Wednesday, someone posted a one-word message to the photo calling Castonguay a “murderer.”
In July, Chayer posted a few photos of herself on her Facebook page. The photos were accompanied by a message that read: “I am Johanne. Forget your past, dream of your future, live the present because the most beautiful gift the world can give you is today.”