Two men in their 20s with gang ties have been declared long-term offenders for taking part in the 2019 violent and wanton assault of six people when bars closed in downtown Montreal. They also receive heavy prison sentences: 15 years for the first and 10 years for his accomplice.
Lentz Lowry Lapaix, nicknamed Peace, and Philippe Henri Nguene Nguene, alias Philz, savagely beat six people in the space of 30 minutes during the evening of August 9, four years ago, at the corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Milton Street.
Both men had previous convictions in 2021 of common assault, aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm to multiple victims in this case. Lapaix, who was found with a loaded firearm during his arrest, is serving 15 years in prison. His co-accused received a 10-year sentence, judge Nathalie Duchesneau ruled Monday afternoon at the Montreal courthouse.
Surveillance camera footage shows a disturbing scene that occurred when bars closed, while the sidewalks were crowded. Lapaix and Nguene Nguene are then involved in the attack on a man near the Private School club.
The beaten victim is lying on the ground, has several facial wounds, lacerated forehead, and is bleeding profusely, can we read in the summary of the facts.
“The victim collapses on the ground like a rag doll”, had described the judge Duchesneau in her judgment of 2021.
A second offensive
Another attack occurs after this event, still in the “bar area”.
Two women and a man eat inside a restaurant on boulevard Saint-Laurent. Nguene Nguene has the impression that the trio seated are laughing at him.
After an altercation, he attacks the two women, chases them, slaps one of them and makes threats.
A witness tries to rescue the women.
This good Samaritan is then beaten up. He still lives with the aftermath of that assault to this day. “Autonomous and independent, he now lives on social assistance and resides in a boarding house with an entourage of problematic people,” his family explained in a letter to the court.
According to our police information, the two criminals are linked to a downtown street gang. However, their affiliation was not mentioned during the legal proceedings.
They were both declared long-term offenders for a term of five years. They will therefore have to submit, after their period of detention, to strict surveillance conditions. Me Alexis Dinelle represented the public ministry, while Me Fannie Lacroix and M.e Camille Chabot defended the two accused.