A “bunker” under his apartment: the accused sent to Pinel for an assessment of his condition

The man suspected of having built a veritable “bunker” under his apartment in Laval will be sent to the National Institute of Forensic Psychiatry Philippe-Pinel for an assessment of his criminal responsibility.

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Alexandre Richard, 31, briefly appeared Monday morning at the courthouse. The construction worker had been detained since his arrest on January 4.

Following concerns raised by both family members and prosecutors on file, a request for a criminal responsibility assessment was made before the judge.

The individual, who has already been in court in 2018 for theft and drug possession, must return before the judge on February 8. He is accused of mischief, obstructing police work and unauthorized possession of a firearm. He had lived there since July 2022.

Wheelbarrows of earth

According to testimonies collected by TVA News, for several months, residents of the building had been hearing noise late at night. Some had also seen the man carrying wheelbarrows of earth into his home.

After receiving complaints and seeing for himself that his tenant had contravened the building’s regulations, the owner took steps with the Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL). As Alexandre Richard never showed up, the owner obtained authorization to evict him.

“But it took almost eight months before we could get him out of there. During that time, the damage got worse and now it’s me who is stuck with it, it’s really annoying,” says Stéphane Dion.

Police officers and bailiff

On January 4, a bailiff and Laval police officers arrived on site to execute the judgment. That’s when they discovered what had been going on inside for months.

“It was terrible,” said the owner. I knew he had stolen the apartment, but I really didn’t think it was of this magnitude.”

A real “bunker” was discovered below the accused’s apartment. In addition to the almost unsanitary state of the premises, walls and floors had been perforated and torn out. Richard lived like a “hermit,” according to his owner. He never went out and had barricaded the windows with trash bags.

The modifications to the building were so extensive that all other tenants had to be evacuated until the situation was safe. Some were sheltered by family, while others were taken care of by the Red Cross. They have still not been able to return to their accommodation, confirmed the owner, who is awaiting a response from the insurance companies before continuing the work.