The young man who caused the death of an elder by pushing him down the stairs of his accommodation in Huberdeau in the Laurentians pleaded guilty this morning, as soon as he had the opportunity.
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“I must emphasize today the speed of the guilty plea, which is quite rare in this type of case. […] From the moment of his arrest, he filled out a statement in which he acknowledged the assault and the offense of having caused death, ”said Crown prosecutor Me Steve Baribeau on Tuesday at the St. -Jerome.
Accompanied by his relatives, Samuel Charbonneau, 27, admitted on Tuesday that he had involuntarily caused the death of Jacques Bernier by pushing him down a steep staircase on September 11, 2021.
Photo d’Archives
Jacques Bernier, victim
Banal situation that degenerates
“There are trivial, innocuous situations that degenerate. This is what happened, ”continued the prosecutor before summarizing the facts.
That evening, Charbonneau was going with a friend to a restaurant-bar for the evening. On their way, they passed in front of the residence of the victim, aged 71, who shouted at them from his patio, at the entrance to his accommodation on the second floor.
The latter, who had lived in Huberdeau since his childhood, was well known in the area and used to make comments to passers-by.
It was on returning from the bar, after consuming alcohol, that the accused attacked the septuagenarian after another exchange of remarks.
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Samuel Charbonneau
two pushes
“Mr. Charbonneau made the mistake of going up. There was an altercation. There were assaults. Two pushes and Mr. Bernier tumbled down the steps. His death followed,” summed up Me Baribeau.
Dressed in a black hoodie, the 27-year-old admitted the facts.
With defense lawyer Me Stéphanie Auclaire, the crown requested that a pre-sentence report be ordered to learn more about the accused, before suggesting a joint sentence to judge Nancy McKenna.
Samuel Charbonneau had no criminal record.