Teen accused of fatally stabbing best friend is granted bail
A teenager who was arrested in Laval on New Year’s Day after his best friend was fatally stabbed during a fight in a parking lot has been granted bail in the murder case brought against him.
The Crown had based its objection to releasing the 17-year-old on concerns he might flee justice, the potential threat he poses to public security, and the risk of undermining the public’s faith in the justice system by releasing a person charged with a serious crime.
Judge Martine Nilon rejected all three arguments.
While agreeing to give the accused a conditional release, Nolin advised lawyers on both sides that, in her opinion, the murder case can easily be settled without a trial.
“Learn this word: facilitation,” Nolin told the teenager while he nodded in silence.
She was referring to a process in which defence lawyers and prosecutors hold closed-door meetings with an experienced judge who hears all the evidence and guides both parties toward a resolution. The facilitation process is designed to free up busy courtrooms.
Because of a publication ban on evidence heard during the bail hearing, news media are not allowed to report on why Nolin made the suggestion.
The adolescent is charged with second-degree murder as well as assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. The assault charge involves another person involved in the fight on Jan. 1.
In addition, the accused is charged with extortion and armed assault in an unrelated case.
He appeared nervous at the Laval courthouse Wednesday before Nolin made her decision. In the prisoner’s dock, he kept his head so low the judge was unable to see his face. Toward the end of the hearing, Nolin noted it was difficult to determine if he understood what she was saying when she couldn’t see his face.
Among the conditions imposed on his release, the accused is required to reside outside Laval while his case is pending. He can set foot on the island only if he is accompanied by one of his parents.
He is required to remain at his new residence 24 hours a day unless he is attending school. When at school, Nolin said, he must remain there all day and cannot leave the campus even for lunch.
A relative of the 15-year-old boy who was killed on Jan. 1 became emotional after Nolin delivered her decision.
“How does this protect me and my family?” the woman said outside the courtroom before she broke down in tears and was hugged by two other women.
Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, news media are not allowed to publish the names of the accused or the victim of the stabbing.
At the end of the bail hearing, the judge was informed that well-known defence lawyer Guy Poupart will take over the case from Normand Haché. Poupart has defended several people accused of murder — most notably Guy Turcotte, the cardiologist who killed his two children.
“I have not been a criminal lawyer for all of my career,” Haché said in explaining why his client would benefit from Poupart’s experience.
“He has experience in cases of this type, specifically in murder cases. It is something that changes the lives of people. I don’t want to enter into clichés here, but this isn’t a case where bikers are killing each other.”
The case returns to court on March 23 for a formality hearing.