Accused of violently beating two women in December, Yan-Philippe Leduc will remain in prison while awaiting his criminal trials.
By his decision rendered Monday at the Longueuil courthouse, Judge Marc-Antoine Carette of the Court of Quebec refused to allow the man to leave the detention center for the continuation of the legal proceedings.
“Mr. Leduc clearly represents a danger if released. »
The 27-year-old, a private trainer and professional bodybuilder, has been detained since his arrest on December 30.
The accusations have multiplied against him since the public denunciation of one of the women, Laury Choinière, on social networks: she reported having suffered a savage attack on December 30 in Brossard. He now faces numerous counts of serious assault, assault by strangulation, kidnapping and threats, violent actions committed over several months against this young woman and another, Sabryna Germain, who was, according to the act of denunciation, violently attacked the same evening of December 30 in Leduc’s car, barely an hour before he attacked Laury. The latter’s mother was also threatened
With his head bowed, Leduc listened to the magistrate deliver his judgment by videoconference from a detention center.
A publication ban prevents the reporting of evidence provided by the Crown and the defense: it is thus impossible to report what the witnesses came to tell the Court as part of the release investigation. .
Judge Carette recalled that the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that no one should be unduly deprived of their liberty. However, there are exceptions to this principle, notably when detention is necessary for the protection of the public.
Here, the judge took into account the apparent seriousness of the actions for which he is accused, which were allegedly committed in a context of domestic violence, the number of victims, his criminal record and the fact that he did not respect his probation conditions in the past.
His release would compromise the safety of the alleged victims and society, the judge read in the courtroom.
“The court is satisfied that the detention of the accused is necessary so as not to undermine public confidence. »
Leduc will have to appear before the magistrate at the end of March for further proceedings.