The Scotsman

Man pleads guilty to mosque murders

- By MARGARET NEIGHBOUR

The man accused of killing six men at a Quebec City mosque has changed his mind and pleaded guilty.

Many people in the courtroom burst out sobbing and held hands yesterday as the judge confirmed Alexandre Bissonnett­e’s guilty pleas.

Bissonnett­e, 28, originally pleaded not guilty to the 12 charges on Monday morning but that afternoon announced he wanted to plead guilty.

Superior Court Justice Francois Huot refused to accept the pleas on Monday pending a psychiatri­c assessment of the accused to ensure that he fully understood the consequenc­es of his decision.

Mr Justice Huot placed a publicatio­n ban on Monday afternoon’s proceeding­s but agreed to accept the 12 guilty pleas yesterday.

Bissonnett­e faced six charges of first degree murder and six of attempted murder.

More than 50 people were at the Islamic Cultural Centre in January 2017 when the shooting began during evening prayers.

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