A manager of the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, jealous and addicted to crack, admitted to having disregarded his prohibitions on contact with his ex 10 times by stalking her, bombarding her with messages and calls for months and even going so far as to park in front of her house.
Patrick Martial Hougni had several chances to comply, but each time he did it again. Arrested for assault and harassment of his ex-partner last June, he was able to be released pending his trial, provided that he did not contact the lady or approach her.
But he had done it again, more than once. He has just pleaded guilty to having broken his release conditions 10 times, either for calling or writing to his ex, or for loitering near her home.
Four times in a few months, he found himself before a judge for breaches of conditions.
Manager for the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, it was from the dock that he made these appearances in the courtroom.
The first two times, he convinced the court to release him, promising to get his act together.
Repeat offense immediately released
But in August, he was arrested again for contacting his ex. He once again avoided going to jail while awaiting trial and checked himself into a drug therapy center. Struggling with a crack addiction, he had to stay there for six months.
But when he left his program on February 29, he was quick to return to his old habits: he did it again the next day.
For days until his arrest last week, he stalked his ex again. In particular, he parked in front of her residence and contacted her repeatedly.
Hougni could be very insistent, going so far as to call him ten times in a few hours. The last call was made on March 7, just before his recent arrest.
“He told her that because of the complaint she made against him, he will lose his job. He adds that he received a letter from his employer, telling him that it has tarnished his reputation, that the damage is done,” summarized M in the courtroom.e Annabelle Racine, from the Crown.
It is a federal prosecutor who is responsible for the case, due to the accused’s employment at the DPCP, an organization which authorizes and directs criminal prosecutions in Quebec.
Worrying behaviors
Me Racine also listed the number of times the accused could call his victim per day. Last year, for example, he contacted her more than 70 times in two weeks.
The victim initially filed a complaint in the summer of 2023 due to worrying behavior by the accused. He monitored her movements, spied on her emails, contacted her colleagues.
He even posed as a private detective, claiming to have taken several images of her.
Even until recently, a year after their separation, Mr. Hougni tried more than once to find out whether the woman was seeing other people.
By pleading guilty to 11 charges, he waives the possibility of a trial. The defense requested the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
“It’s a special case,” commented his lawyer, Mr.e Jean-François Ouellet, in reference to his client’s employment.
Patrick Martial Hougni is due back in court next month for sentencing. He remains detained until then.