Army veteran Martin Lévesque faces at least four years in prison after being convicted by a jury of manslaughter for shooting dead his neighbor Patricia Sirois in Saint-Raymond in 2021.
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• Read also: Murder of Patricia Sirois: the fate of Martin Lévesque in the hands of the jury
The verdict fell Thursday noon at the Quebec City courthouse after less than forty-eight hours of deliberation.
Lévesque, who turned 51 a few days ago in custody, failed to convince the jury of 7 women and 5 men that he was not criminally responsible due to his mental illness.
Patricia Sirois, 35, victim
Courtesy picture
However, his mental state at the time obviously raised doubt in the minds of the jurors as they also dismissed the more serious charge of second degree murder which was sought by the prosecution.
It was admitted on both sides that the ex-soldier suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Emotion
The verdict was greeted with great emotion by the family of Patricia Sirois, including her parents and her sister, who came. They declined to comment.
“The crux of the case in this file was the mental health of Martin Lévesque. Did he know the difference between good and evil? With this verdict today, it is clear that the jury concluded that they knew how to tell the difference,” commented the prosecutor, Mr.e Matthieu Rochette, while paying tribute to the victim.
The parents of the victim Patricia Sirois attended the hearing with emotion.
Dominique Lelievre
Martin Lévesque, whose biological mother was also in the room, remained impassive during the reading of the verdict, like his expression during all the procedures.
This fact “is intimately linked to his post-traumatic syndrome” and has nothing to do with “a lack of empathy”, argued his lawyer, Mr.e Pierre Gagnon.
six balls
On the evening of September 10, 2021, Patricia Sirois, a 35-year-old special education teacher, was returning from shopping in the car with her two-year-old daughter and her one-year-old son when her path crossed that of Martin Lévesque.
She was shot by six 9mm projectiles at the height of the residence of the accused, on rue Marlène, for reasons that the latter never managed to explain to the bereaved family.
Me Matthieu Rochette, Crown attorney.
Dominique Lelievre
At trial, Lévesque said he remembered nothing of the events. His lawyer pleaded that he was experiencing a delusional disorder of persecution and hypervigilance after being the victim of misdeeds on his property and that he would have “dissociated” during the tragedy, believing that the victim was rushing on his spouse.
“Fair” Verdict
“The verdict indicates that they [les jurés] took into account Mr. Lévesque’s mental state, all the same, to come to the conclusion that he did not have the intent required to commit murder. So, I will tell you that it is a verdict that satisfies us”, reacted Me Gagnon.
Me Pierre Gagnon, lawyer for Martin Lévesque.
Dominique Lelievre
“I met my client following the verdict and he is of the same opinion. He considers that the verdict is fair insofar as his mental state has been taken into account, ”said the criminal lawyer.
The offense of manslaughter with the use of a firearm is punishable by a minimum imprisonment of four years. The sentence can theoretically go up to life.
Sentencing submissions will take place on August 28.
Key dates
1999-2010: A combat engineer in the Canadian Armed Forces, Martin Lévesque carried out five missions abroad. In Afghanistan, he lost several brothers in arms, was constantly exposed to threats and was injured in an explosion. He is then monitored for post-traumatic stress disorder.
2017: He was discharged from the army and returned to civilian life, including volunteering. His mental health remains fragile.
August 15, 2021: Lévesque extinguishes a grass fire on his land. He maintains that this event instilled fear in him, making links to break and enters of which he had been the victim. In the weeks leading up to the tragedy, he fashioned a defensive position in his room, took out several firearms, improvised a homemade antipersonnel mine and undertook night rounds.
Summer 2021: An acquaintance, Major Véronique Jacques, visits Martin Lévesque and his spouse. According to his testimony, the couple seem to be immersed in conspiracy theories surrounding the pandemic.
September 10, 2021: Martin Lévesque says his memories fade at 10 a.m. A neighbor says he was questioned, a few minutes before the homicide, by the man and his spouse, and perceived an intention to investigate.
Shortly before 8 p.m., Patricia Sirois is driving on rue Marlène. She calls 911, but only her children’s cries of distress are heard.
She receives six projectiles, including four to the head and at least one that was fired from less than 75 cm away. His vehicle continues to advance at low speed for nearly a kilometer before being immobilized by a neighbor. His death is obvious.
After his arrest, Lévesque asserts that he shot the victim because she was “rushing” at his spouse, which has never been proven. He smells of alcohol, but his state of intoxication could not be established with certainty.
May 2, 2023: Beginning of the trial for second degree murder of Martin Lévesque. Nearly twenty witnesses are heard over a period of six weeks.