Carl Girouard, the author of the violent saber attack in Old Quebec in October 2020, was convicted of first degree murder on Friday.
The jury, which began their deliberations on Monday, handed down its verdict in Quebec City court.
Carl Girouard was convicted of the murders of François Duchesne, 56, and Suzanne Clermont, 61.
Friday before 2 pm, the accused arrived in the courtroom with his head held high. Before addressing his lawyer, he looked around the room.
About forty people were present in the room for this awaited verdict.
Lisa Mahmoud was the only victim in the area. He testified at trial.
The 26-year-old is automatically sentenced to life imprisonment. He was also convicted of five attempted murder, after attacking bystanders on Halloween night 2020.
He parked his car near Château Frontenac, before sowing death and barbarism in the streets of Old Quebec.
Girouard admitted he was the author of the attacks, while presenting a defense to non-criminal liability, due to mental disorder.
Therefore, the jury did not follow the arguments of his attorney who presented the testimony of psychiatrist Gilles Chamberland. The latter diagnosed the accused with schizophrenia which would lead him to a delirium, preventing him from making the distinction between good and evil.
The prosecution responded to the testimony of two experts, including psychiatrist Sylvain Faucher.
This testimony appears to have convinced the jury that the accused was fully aware of his actions when he committed his crimes.
During the trial, Carl Girouard testified that he struggled with his two personalities, before acting.
He said he felt he had invested in a mission to change the world for the best. According to his account, he will create chaos to make New world.
The Sainte-Thérèse resident began developing this plan six years ago.
The jury consisted of 7 women and 4 men, one member was excluded at the beginning of the proceedings after COVID-19 was contracted.
More details to come
Source: Radio-Canada
