On Wednesday, at the Rimouski courthouse, the lawyers made their recommendations on Steve Lévesque’s sentence. Steve Lévesque was found guilty last May of the second degree murder of Maxime Dugas-Lepage and was therefore automatically given a life sentence.
The day began with the testimony of the victim’s sister, Maxime Dugas-Lepage. She explained to the court the consequences that her brother’s death had on her family.
I’m not the person I used to be and never will beshe said of the loss of a brother with a big heart. She said her brother could have difficulty managing his emotions and sometimes be impulsive, but he was always there to comfort his loved ones.
She added that the fact that Maxime Dugas-Lepage’s body was never found prevented his family from holding a funeral, making it harder to grieve.
Criminal and penal prosecuting attorney Jérôme Simard recommended that Steve Lévesque become eligible for parole after 16 years in prison.
We consider that it must be a sentence of 16 years before Mr. can benefit from a parole considering the many aggravating factorssupported Master Simard, at the exit of the courtroom.
” One of the more aggravating factors is the fact that the body was never found and that Steve Lévesque tried to cover up his crime. “
For his part, the defense lawyer, Pierre L’Écuyer, asked that his client be able to apply for parole after 12 years of imprisonment. He declined to comment on this recommendation, saying a motion to appeal his client’s guilty verdict was filed within the last month.
According to the facts heard during his trial, Steve Lévesque shot the victim with a firearm on the evening of January 20, 2020 in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. He then transported the remains to a warehouse in Saint-Lin–Laurentides, in the Lanaudière region.
When he testified at his trial, the accused said he disposed of the victim’s body in the Rivière des Mille-Îles, near Laval.
Superior Court Judge François Huot reserved the decision on Steve Lévesque’s parole eligibility period. He is due to render his judgment on September 15 at the Rimouski courthouse.
Maxime Labrie and Carl Lévesque receive their sentences
Steve Lévesque’s brother, Carl Lévesque, and Maxime Labrie, both charged with complicity after the fact in the murder of Maxime Dugas-Lepage, received their sentences on Wednesday.
In both cases, these were joint recommendations from their respective lawyers and the criminal and penal prosecuting attorney.
They both entered guilty pleas in connection with these charges.
According to the facts presented during the trial, Carl Lévesque and Maxime Labrie helped clean up the crime scene in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and transported the victim’s body to place it in the trunk of Steve Lévesque’s vehicle.
Maxime Labrie also went to Saint-Lin–Laurentides to help Steve Lévesque buy various objects used to wrap the body of Maxime Dugas-Lepage with the aim of disposing of it in a stream.
Maxime Labrie was also charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking and possession of prohibited firearms, particularly in connection with cocaine and firearms that were found in his vehicle at the time of his arrest.
He was sentenced to a total sentence of 5 years, 7 months and 6 days of detention for the three cases for which he found himself in court.
Maxime Labrie has been detained since his arrest in Rimouski on January 25, 2020. Criminal and penal prosecuting attorney Jérôme Simard explained that each day of pretrial detention counts as a day and a half of detention. There are therefore two years less a day to serve for Maxime Labrie.
For his part, Carl Lévesque received a sentence of 3 years and 8 months in penitentiary. He has been detained since his arrest on March 12, 2020 and therefore has 1 year, 3 months and 2 weeks left to serve in connection with the charge of accessory after the fact against him.
Carl Lévesque is already serving a 12-month sentence for intimidating a person associated with the justice system. His sentence for complicity after the fact will therefore be served after the eight months remaining on this sentence.
The sentences of Maxime Labrie and Carl Lévesque are accompanied by a three-year probation period and various conditions, some of which prohibit them from possessing weapons and narcotics. They are also prohibited from contacting the family of the victim, Mario Lafontaine and Steve Lévesque.
Source: Radio-Canada
