The Crown has not proved that there was duct tape on the nose and mouth of the “Granby girl”, said the lawyer for the mother-in-law of the child, accused of her murder .
With the start of pleadings, this criminal trial for forcible confinement and second degree murder of the 7-year-old girl has entered its final stage.
You are there to decide the fate of the accused, said her lawyer, Me Alexandre Biron, to the 14 jurors in a courtroom at the Trois-Rivières courthouse, where the trial is taking place. He has all day to convince the jury to acquit his client.
The lawyer thus recalled that all the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The Crown argued in its theory of cause that the little girl was wrapped in duct tape all over her body, as well as over her nose and mouth, on April 29, 2019, and her death resulted because she missed oxygen.
But Monday morning, Me Biron went straight to the point: the prosecution did not prove that there was duct tape on the child’s airways.
He explained to the jurors that they will have to consider four very important questions during their deliberations before rendering their verdict: where was the sticky paper laid? When ? By who ? And why ?
While several witnesses said the girl had compression marks on her arms and legs, no one reported seeing any on her face, the lawyer said in support of his claims.
Several people also said that the child was protesting and screaming that morning. According to expert witnesses, this would not have been possible if his nose and mouth were blocked with duct tape.
The lawyer also worked to describe how the first responders touched and moved objects in the child’s room, including the “pile of slap And thus contaminated the scene.
Defense argument continues on Monday.