Crown wants Fredette to serve 50 years before chance at parole

The Crown called upon a Superior Court judge Thursday to ensure Ugo Fredette isn’t eligible for parole for at least 50 years, if only to avoid sending the message that committing more than one murder does not deserve even a single, extra hour of imprisonment.

Crown prosecutor Steve Baribeau also pleaded that a heavy sentence should be imposed for the murder of Fredette’s ex-wife, Véronique Barbe, seeing how she was killed in a context of domestic violence and in an “act of domination.”

Baribeau made his argument as lawyers began their submissions to the court on the minimum time that Fredette — convicted of first-degree murders in 2017 of his ex-wife and a 71-year-old man — should serve before he can seek parole.

The 44-year-old Fredette stabbed his ex-wife 17 times. Later the same day, he murdered 71-year-old Yvon Lacasse after stealing his car to evade police.

Fredette then dumped Lacasse’s body in a ditch, Baribeau said, “with contempt for human life and dignity.”

A conviction for first-degree murder results in an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. However, for the past few years an amendment to the Criminal Code allows judges to apply that 25-year minimum to each count of murder in cases involving multiple killings.

That decision was at issue on

Thursday, as the Crown sought a 50-year minimum for Fredette. Baribeau told the court that to do otherwise would be to suggest the life of Lacasse, Fredette’s second victim, was worthless, and argued that if there was ever a case for cumulative sentencing, the court was hearing it.

“If this case doesn’t deserve a cumulative sentence, I don’t know which case is going to deserve it,” Baribeau argued, pointing out there were two first-degree murders — “the worst of crimes” — involving two unrelated victims.

Defence lawyer Louis-alexandre Martin, for his part, will try to convince Superior Court Justice Myriam Lachance on Friday to set Fredette’s parole minimum at 25 years, arguing the Criminal Code provision allowing for cumulative sentences is unconstitutional and violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The same article is being argued in the case of Alexandre Bissonnette, who murdered six men in a Quebec City mosque.

Meanwhile, Fredette has filed an appeal and is seeking a new trial.