Retired Quebec judge found guilty of killing wife
[
link to m.ctv.ca]
Retired Quebec judge Jacques Delisle was found guilty Thursday of murdering his disabled wife, as his family members' screams and sobs filled the courtroom.
Delisle, 77, is believed to be the first Canadian judge to stand trial for murder. He will automatically receive a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Delisle's wife, 71-year-old Marie-Nicole Rainville, was found dead in the couple's Quebec City condo on Nov. 12, 2009, with a .22-calibre pistol at her side.
Delisle called 911 and told the operator his wife committed suicide by shooting herself in the head. He maintained that Rainville, who had suffered a stroke two years earlier and was paralyzed on her right side, was already dead when he arrived home.
But at trial, prosecutors argued that Delisle killed his wife because he wanted to start a new life with his former secretary and mistress, Johanne Plamondon, and avoid a potentially messy and costly divorce.
When the guilty verdict was announced in court Thursday, Delisle's family "just erupted into sobs," CTV Montreal's Maya Johnson reported.
Delisle's son was so emotional that security guards had to escort him out of the courtroom, Johnson said. He had started to behave erratically, taking off items of clothing and cursing.
"He wanted to give his father a hug. He said he wanted just one chance to be close to his father before he went off to jail and he was not allowed to approach his father," she said.
Canada
United States
