An octogenarian from Longueuil who left his wife of 50 years to waste away for weeks in atrocious conditions to the point where she was bathing in her excrement received two years of imprisonment yesterday to be served at home.
“People cannot take it upon themselves to decide whether an elderly person requires care or not. The services are there. This is a serious offense. I hope that the sentence imposed will dissuade people from doing like you,” judge Serge Délisle told the accused Paul-Henri Landry yesterday afternoon.
In October 2020, the 83-year-old man could no longer take care of his wife, Marina Lepage, and he called 911 to send an ambulance.
“The state in which the lady was found is extremely shocking, it is revolting,” said the Crown prosecutor, Ms.e Anne Gauvin, at the Longueuil courthouse.
When the paramedics arrived, the 85-year-old woman was bathed in her urine and feces in a sunken bed without sheets. She was malnourished and curled up on herself. The smell was unbearable.
Photo Antoine Lacroix
In fetal position
At the hospital, responders tried to unfold her body into the fetal position, but without success. She also had several bed sores that exposed her bones and tendons. The victim died 12 hours later of a heart attack.
After several months of investigation, her partner was accused. The couple, married for more than 50 years, had no children and were rather isolated.
Paul-Henri Landry avoided a trial by pleading guilty last February to one count of not having provided the things necessary for his partner’s existence.
However, he still tries to avoid responsibility and tends to paint a diminished image of the situation. This is what emerges from a pre-sentence report filed yesterday in court.
Mistrustful
And if he did not act sooner, it was to respect the wishes of his wife, who did not want to go to the hospital, according to him. The octogenarian, who shows a distrust of the health system, had also refused the help for his partner offered by his doctor.
Judge Délisle ratified a sentence of two years less a day of home confinement after a joint suggestion from the Crown and the defense. The age of the elder and his limited abilities were taken into account in particular.
Despite this, it is a heavier sentence than that of Bruno Turcotte, sentenced yesterday morning to 18 months of home confinement for also neglecting to provide care to his almost paralyzed wife. In his case, the 61-year-old was convicted of manslaughter following a jury trial.
– with Valérie Gonthier