A Laval merchant who destroyed surveillance camera images under threat from suspects involved in an attempted murder in March 2021 obtained clemency from the court, which granted him a conditional discharge.
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“Although wrongful, the behavior of the accused at the origin of the offenses involves an action motivated by the fear of reprisals and not with the aim of harming the work of the police,” underlined earlier this week Judge Maria Albanese, at the Laval courthouse.
Faced with this “unique and exceptional” case, she imposed a probation order of 18 months and 200 hours of community work on a 41-year-old individual. The maximum sentence was 10 years in prison.
The accused, whose The newspaper chose to remain anonymous, pleaded guilty to one of two charges against him for obstructing a criminal investigation. A conditional judgment was issued on the second count.
Manipulated images
The case dates back to March 2021, when a 17-year-old teenager was the subject of an attempted murder by firearm on Boulevard Le Corbusier, in Laval.
While the police began their investigation, the suspects called the accused and headed to his business, which is located not far from the crime scene.
“They threaten to attack his family if he hands over the images captured by his surveillance cameras to the police. The accused is afraid,” said Judge Albanese.
The forty-year-old later assured authorities that his cameras were “fake and non-functional”.
However, after obtaining a search warrant, an analysis “shows that there have been several manipulations and deletions of images. The accused admits to being the only one to have access to his camera system,” Judge Albanese described in her decision.
Direct attack
“The court considers that granting a conditional discharge would not harm the public interest. A public well informed about the particularities of this case would not lose confidence in the judicial system,” she argued.
The magistrate thus favored the sentence suggested by the defense, which nevertheless recognizes that the actions taken constitute “a direct attack on the work of the police and […] to the justice system.”
The Crown, for its part, pleaded for eight months of imprisonment for the man who has no criminal record.
During his testimony during the sentencing arguments, the merchant, whose risk of recidivism is considered low in the short and medium term, expressed “remorse which seems sincere,” according to the court.
“The evidence does not demonstrate any criminal profile. Deterrence and specific denunciation are achieved. Rehabilitation is present,” observed Judge Albanese.