A man already serving a long sentence for entering the residence of mobster Francesco Del Balso presumably to kill him has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing a man in Hollywood circumstances.
Marc Laflamme-Berthelot pleaded guilty last December to having committed the manslaughter of Kellen Seow in 2017. Judge Éric Downs endorsed the parties’ suggestion on May 23, declaring him a long-term offender. Once free, the 39-year-old criminal will be placed under long-term surveillance for eight years.
Marc Laflamme-Berthelot is “the main perpetrator” of the crime, according to the judge. His accomplice Manuel Savoie has already been sentenced to 10 years in prison, while “T. C”, who became a collaborating witness for the police, received eight years for the manslaughter out of a total sentence of 12 years.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Marc Laflamme-Berthelot in 2010
Manuel Savoie obtains in March 2017 a contract to kidnap Kellen Seow, a drug trafficker. To assist him in the kidnapping, he recruits T. C and Marc Laflamme-Berthelot. The trio then intercept Kellen Seow as he leaves a restaurant in the Sainte-Dorothée district, in Laval, and force him into a vehicle.
The kidnapping turns sour when Kellen Seow tries to retrieve his gun from his coat. He then tries to attack the driver, Manuel Savoie. Their accomplice TC intervenes and immobilizes the victim by suffocating him.
“The three accomplices feared that if the victim was not forcibly restrained, he could seriously injure them. TC sees Marc Laflamme-Berthelot holding a knife close to the victim’s face and cutting her,” the summary of facts states.
In the scuffle, Marc Laflamme-Berthelot stabs Kellen Seow multiple times, until he inflicts 11 wounds on different parts of his body.
The three accomplices finally abandon Kellen Seow on the edge of Highway 13. A witness sees him stagger on the shoulder before collapsing near Highway 440.
Kellen Seow’s death had dramatic consequences for his family.
“He was a star in our lives, he was our sun. And then, on March 21, 2017, my sun went out. Darkness has set in. The knife that cut her thigh also pierced my heart. […] My soul mate is gone. He is a father for my children who disappeared, ”said the widow of the victim in a heartbreaking letter.
According to a psychiatrist, Marc Laflamme-Berthelot presents a “significant” risk of recurrence. On a rating scale, he scored 9 out of 9, the highest category of risk for recurrence.
Marc Laflamme-Berthelot made headlines a few years ago for breaking into the house of mobster Francesco Del Balso in Laval in 2017. He had pointed a gun at a woman and a young woman. “Where is it, Francesco?” “, he had launched them by touching their head with his revolver. His hostages had suffered injuries during the event.
In the manslaughter case, Mr.e Karine Dalphond represented the public prosecutor, while the accused was defended by Me David Petranic and M.e Martin Latour.