A dramatic turnaround at the jury trial of Jonathan Massari, accused of plotting the murders and killing four individuals linked to the Montreal mafia in 2016.
Posted at 10:02
Judge Michel Pennou, of the Superior Court, on Wednesday granted a motion to abort the trial presented by Massari’s lawyer, Mr.e Philippe Larochelle, and announced Thursday morning to the jury that it was dissolved.
“The reason why the request was made by the accused is related to several things said in the context of the testimony that you heard last Tuesday,” Judge Pennou told the jurors.
Me Larochelle made his request after the first day of testimony by a former mafia hitman, a key witness in the trial.
It began on September 13 and took place at the Gouin Judicial Services Center, in the north of the city.
A new trial could be set up and a new jury could be appointed quickly.
Jonathan Massari, 41, is accused of plotting and murdering four individuals linked to the Montreal Mafia in 2016, Lorenzo Giordano, Rocco Sollecito and brothers Giuseppe and Vincenzo Falduto.
Massari was arrested in the fall of 2019, following a major investigation by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) during which it used a hitman – whose identity we must conceal — who became a civilian undercover agent (ACI) for her.
The prosecution was represented by Mr.e Isabelle Poulin, M.e Marie-Josee Godbout, M.e Karine Cordeau and M.e Catherine Sheitoyan, from the Serious Crime and Special Affairs Office of the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP).
More details to come.
To reach Daniel Renaud, dial 514 285-7000, ext. 4918, write to [email protected] or write to the postal address of The Press.