After being refused because of his “high” risk to the public, the murderer Simon Brind’Amour will finally be able to attend the funeral of a loved one, less than a year after his sentence to life in prison for the savage murder of his spouse in a context of domestic violence.
The Appeal Division of the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) last week overturned the first instance decision denying exceptional permission to escort the murderer. The commissioners then pointed out that Simon Brind’Amour still holds a “maximum” security rating in addition to presenting a “moderate” risk of escape.
The crimes of the 40-year-old Montrealer, sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole before 16, are particularly sordid. Simon Brind’Amour killed his wife Josiane Arguin with a billiard cue, while she was trying to flee their residence in Ahuntsic. He then disposed of the body in the garbage, in addition to leading the police on false leads.
COURTESY PHOTO
Josiane Arguin, 34, was killed on 1er September 2018 in Montreal.
Less than a year later, Simon Brind’Amour approached the PBC in the hope of attending the funeral of a “significant person”. During his three-hour outing, Simon Brind’Amour will have to be subjected to “security constraints” and to visual and hearing surveillance “at all times”.
At first instance, the commissioners justified their refusals by the intense surveillance necessary during the exit to the funeral home. This monitoring said “a lot” about the risk level of Simon Brind’Amour, according to the commissioners. “In other words, these measures are the clear demonstration that you represent a high risk for public safety”, concluded the PBC in a first decision.
However, the appeal division of the PBC considers that the commissioners should not have considered the criteria for the supervision of correctional services to measure the risk of the offender for the public. “The Commission made an inadequate and unfair assessment,” concluded the Commissioners of the Appeal Division, René Allard and Geneviève Boudreau, ordering a reconsideration.
Thus, last Friday, the PBC finally approved permission to go out with escort for humanitarian reasons. In this re-examination, the Commissioners now argue that Simon Brind’Amour no longer presents an “unacceptable risk to society”, despite his maximum security rating.
The Commission notes that the director of the establishment is in favor of such an exit and that the murderer is not a subject of interest for the preventive security department. “The funeral of […] constitute an important event for you to pay a last tribute to […] and accompany […] in this ordeal, ”writes the PBC.
Note that Simon Brind’Amour appealed against his conviction.