It was armed with at least two knives that Théo *, 16, went to a park in Laval last year to kill his 15-year-old best friend in a “spirit of revenge”. “Violent” messages on social networks show that the teenager did not fall into an “ambush”, quite the contrary.
This is the theory that Crown prosecutor Marie-Ève Vautier presented Friday at Théo’s trial at the Laval courthouse. The young man, now 18, has been on trial in the Youth Chamber for two months. He is accused of the premeditated murder of Max *, a 15-year-old boy who died stabbed in Marc-Aurèle Fortin park, in the Fabreville district, in Laval, on 1er January 2020.
The conflict between the three best friends started with a simple online comment from one of the brothers about a classmate who was liked by Theo. However, the latter did not digest the insult. There followed an escalation of comments between friends on social networks and a “multitude of threats” launched by Theo.
“From December 30, threats against [Max] are unequivocal and refer to a weapon ”, pleaded Me Vautier. Theo writes in particular that he wants to “pick up” the victim. “You are going to be the first to eat with my new toy,” he wrote two days before the tragedy.
According to the defense, Theo * rather fell into a “trap” set by the brothers Max and Peter, when he believed to be reconciled with his best friends. The brothers and two accomplices gave him a “monumental beating”, forcing him to brandish a knife to “drive” the brothers away. No Crown witness has seen the fatal blow, insisted on Friday defense lawyer Me Guy Poupart, minimally pleading self-defense.
“This is not a trap,” repeated the crown attorney. Yes, the victim was going to the park knowing there would be a “kickback”, but her goal was not to “beat up” the accused. Besides, the only one who had a gun that night in the park is Theo, according to the Pursuit.
“He summons in hours when it is dark, when there is no one there. He knew he was going to fight with the two brothers. It’s not an ambush, because he knows very well who is in the park ”, argued Mr.e Vautier.
In addition, the evidence allows to infer that Theo brought the two very similar kitchen knives found on the scene, raised Mr.e Vautier. A conclusion rejected by the defense, which concludes on the contrary that one of the brothers held one of these knives in his hand. “DNA does not appear as if by magic,” pleaded Me Poupart.
The victim’s brother admitted at trial to lying to the police, the defense said Thursday. “Yes, he lied to the police, but he corrected what he had to correct and his version, then, did not change”, retorted Me Vautier, who had teamed up with Me Marie-Ève Dubeau.
The defense claims that the Crown’s witnesses recounted versions “in very large parts contradictory”.
The Crown will continue its argument on Wednesday before Judge Catherine Perreault.
* Fictitious names to protect the identity of minors.