A man who killed a septuagenarian by pushing him down an outside staircase at the exit of bars in 2021 was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday, at the Saint-Jérôme courthouse. Samuel Charbonneau hoped to get away without going to prison.
“The act committed by the accused in the circumstances of the case should never have happened and no one deserves to end his days as it happened for Mr. Bernier”, affirmed to The Press Crown prosecutor M.e Steve Baribeau, saying he was “very satisfied” with the judgment.
Jacques Bernier had the misfortune to find himself in the path of Samuel Charbonneau on September 11, 2021, in the small municipality of Huberdeau, near Mont-Tremblant. That evening, the young man walks with a friend to a bar and begins to interact with the victim, who is on the balcony of his apartment on Principale Street.
When leaving the bars, Jacques Bernier is always seated on his balcony, which is accessible from the street by a metal staircase with pronounced steps. Again, Samuel Charbonneau exchanges remarks with the victim.
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It was on this staircase that Jacques Bernier died.
In nebulous circumstances, the young man decides to go up to join Jacques Bernier on his balcony, then pushes him down the stairs. The 72-year-old man will die a few weeks later.
Samuel Charbonneau, 27, quickly pleaded guilty, in May 2022, to one count of manslaughter. The defense was asking for a particularly lenient sentence in the context, namely a suspended sentence (suspended sentence) with community service.
In his defense, Samuel Charbonneau said he wanted to protect his friend, while the victim was holding a small fork in his hands. An “incredible” story, judge Nancy McKenna ruled. The latter thus rejected the defense’s suggestion and instead went along with the Crown’s proposal.
“The judgment takes into account all the circumstances of the case, including the fact that Mr. Charbonneau was a young man of 26 at the time of the events, with no prior history and with good potential for rehabilitation who pleaded guilty from the start of the procedures. I hope that the end of this file will allow the members of Mr. Bernier’s family to continue to move forward in the process of their mourning and to continue their journey in serenity, ”analyzed the prosecutor M.e Baribeau.
Me Stéphanie Bisaillon-Auclaire defended the accused.