An ultra-dangerous man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for an extremely brutal attempted murder of a homeless man who was sleeping in a park in downtown Montreal. A case which constitutes a “sad example of the violence which too often afflicts people experiencing homelessness”, deplores the judge.
It was with a broken bottle that Alexis Barnabé-Paradis tried to kill Jimmy St-Armand, for no apparent reason, while the latter was sleeping in Parc de la Paix, in Montreal, in June 2018. The man from 42, was found guilty by a jury of attempted murder and assault last fall.
A “sneaky and brutal” assault on a “sleepy and vulnerable” man, insists judge Alexandre Boucher in his decision rendered last week at the Montreal courthouse. The magistrate even underlines the “cruelty” of the crime.
Seriously injured, Jimmy St-Armand tried to flee, but his executioner caught up with him to continue beating him. A Good Samaritan had “courageously” come to the victim’s defense, but the attacker had violently bitten his arm. DNA left from that bite helped identify him.
PHOTO SUBMITTED IN EVIDENCE
This photo shows a bite mark on the sweater of a Good Samaritan, bitten by the accused
“The actions of Mr. Barnabé-Paradis remain unexplained. The attack was sudden and without apparent preamble, “said the judge. The two men had met in prison and knew each other from dating in the street, nothing more.
This attempted murder had significant consequences for the victim, her daughter and her loved ones, his spouse told the court. Some time later, Jimmy St-Armand died of a drug overdose.
Crown prosecutor M.e Claudine Charest demanded at least 18 years in prison, even life in prison, while Me Catherine Daniel-Houle was only asking for 10 years in prison. Due to the many aggravating factors, the judge sentenced the defendant to 18 years in prison, of which approximately four years were subtracted for preventive detention.
However, this sentence does not change anything in practice, since Alexis Barnabé-Paradis has already been sentenced to an indefinite term for another gratuitous assault in 2021. He has also been designated a dangerous offender.
Alexis Barnabé-Paradis presents a “very high” risk of recurrence, according to a psychiatric assessment. Even in the penitentiary, he shows “threatening and aberrant” behavior. “One thing is certain, Mr. Barnabé-Paradis is a very dangerous man”, summarizes the judge.
“Mr. Barnabé-Paradis suffers from significant mental health problems, including a psychotic illness that sometimes leads him to become disorganized, to feel persecuted, to behave inappropriately and to act aggressively. It is tempting to believe that this condition could have contributed to the drama in the present case, ”supports the judge, specifying however that the evidence does not reveal any link between his problems and the crime.
On the other hand, Alexis Barnabé-Paradis had aborted his first trial in this case, when he had savagely attacked the two correctional officers who watched him in the dock.