The trial of the man accused of killing a mother will take place

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Anthony Belanger would be dark in the room of this residence in 2014, killing the mother of three children.

Guy Latour

Thursday, December 14, 2017 22:01

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Thursday, December 14, 2017 22:01

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JOLIETTE | A man accused of killing a mother in his sleep by darkening with his car in his bedroom has tried in vain Thursday to pay.

The lawyer Anthony Belanger, 28, has filed a motion of acquittal at the courthouse in Joliette.

Archival Photo, QMI Agency

Anthony Belanger

According to ms. Martin, Latour, the evidence that the Crown presented at the beginning of the trial in September is too low and his client should be acquitted.

The lawyer argues that his client was not intoxicated the evening of October 26, 2014. Of the witnesses at the trial mentioned that he had an odor of alcohol and her eyes glazed. The blood tests also showed an alcohol level of two times higher than the limit.

The defence has also attempted to raise a doubt at the start of the trial in September on the identity of the driver. According to the defence, Anthony Belanger wasn’t the one who was driving when the car rammed into the house of Saint-Alexis-de-Montcalm killing Rachel Middleton and severely injuring her partner Joel Ricard.

The three children of the couple, who were sleeping in another room, were not injured.

Hard to run away

The Crown was demonstrated in September that after the impact, there was debris everywhere and it was hard to open the doors. It would have been very difficult or even impossible for another driver to flee.

In addition, the supposed driver, according to the defence, Joël Hérault, has attested to never having taken the wheel of the car of the accused on the night of the accident.

The judge denied the motion for acquittal Thursday, but has agreed to withdraw the charges of dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing injury.

Judge Jean Roy concluded that there was no evidence of dangerous driving, but has kept the heads of impaired driving causing death and causing bodily harm.

Clear to the husband

All the judicial time and the request for payment submitted Thursday enrage Joel Ricard.

“It is clear that Mr. Bélanger was impaired when the accident took place, as evidenced by her blood-alcohol level almost twice higher than 80 milligrams. He must pay for what he has done. He tries to stretch the strap to the maximum to save time. But I remain convinced that he will be found guilty at his trial, ” he said.

The trial will resume on may 1st with proof of the defense.