“On June 30, 2016, the hitman was in Marie-Josée Viau and Guy Dion’s garage with the Falduto to try out weapons. He unilaterally and impulsively decided to kill them, because he mistakenly believed that the brothers wanted to kill him. If you conclude that this is what happened, there can be no conspiracy and Marie-Josée Viau cannot have participated in this crime ”.
In short, this is the message that Me Mylène Lareau, Marie-Josée Viau’s lawyer, launched to the jury on Wednesday, after three days of pleadings.
Marie-Josée Viau and her spouse, Guy Dion, have been on trial since May 31 for conspiracy and the first degree murders of brothers Vincenzo and Giuseppe Falduto in the garage of their property in Saint-Jude, near Saint-Hyacinthe , in the summer of 2016. The murders were committed by a former mafia hitman who started collaborating with the police two and a half years later and who tried to compromise the Viau-Dion couple by bringing back the murders on the carpet and unwittingly taping them in the summer of 2019.
Wednesday, Me Lareau spoke at length about this former mafia hitman turned mole for the police, stressing in particular that he, according to her, lied during his testimony, that he himself admitted that he was anxious. and psychoses in 2016, and “that he was scrapped in his head, ”citing him.
Me Lareau said he believed, with supporting arguments, that the Faldutos were never on the Scoppa brothers’ list of people to kill and that the brothers were friends and on the same side as the hitman. She added that if the hired killer complained that nothing was ready on the day of the murders, it was precisely because nothing was planned and that he acted spontaneously, leaving the bodies to “Marie”. -Josée and Guy ”.
“The killer has lost control. If the killer acted under an impulse, it is clear that Marie-Josée and Guy could not know it either, ”said the lawyer, who also recalled that the hired killer himself testified that the murders took place without the knowledge of the accused.
No hasty conclusions
Me Lareau also asked jurors to be careful before drawing hasty conclusions about his client’s behavior on the tapes filed in court. She explained the contradictions that sometimes arose in Mr.me Via the traumatic events, the stress of the hitman’s return and the five years that have passed since the events. She believes her client should benefit from a reasonable doubt.
According to the criminal lawyer, Marie-Josée Viau was afraid of the killer when the latter reappeared unexpectedly.
“Marie-Josée Viau found herself almost three years to the day in front of the murderer who killed people in his garage, without warning, and she therefore took the necessary measures not to upset him”, pleaded the criminal lawyer .
Me Lareau said that Marie-Josée Viau and Guy Dion admitted to having removed the traces of the crime.
“Ms. Viau submits it with a lot of emotion and a lot of shame and that she accepts. But she is not accused of it. She is charged with conspiracy to murder. Without the hitman, these two men would not have died on June 30, 2016 in the garage of Guy Dion and Marie-Josée Viau, ”said Mr.e Lareau.
“I ask you to take time. It will be too late in a year or two to say that there was room for reasonable doubt. Make your decision only on the evidence and not on prejudice and sympathy.
I am confident that you will play your role as a citizen with impartiality. I am confident that you will judge Marie-Josée Viau as you would like to be judged by your fellow citizens and that you will treat her like a member of your family ”ended Me Lareau with emotions.
Me Isabelle Poulin for the Pursuit will begin her oral argument on Thursday morning.
With the collaboration of Vincent Larouche, Press
To reach Daniel Renaud, dial 514 285-7000, extension 4918, write to [email protected] or write to the postal address of Press.