This was not an involuntary gesture, Judge Thomas Jacques ruled on the events of August 21, 2020 in Quebec.
Richard Cloutier from Beauport had just taken his ex-wife to a park to convince her to continue their relationship.
On the way home, the 59-year-old insisted in the car and got another refusal, which angered him.
I feel so much that you used me! The driver then took off before taking two deep breaths, accelerating and crossing three lanes of the Autoroute de la Capitale to crash into a concrete wall.
Under the force of the impact, which happened at almost 100 km/h, the woman suffered a broken arm.
Disturbing Events
It took a few weeks for the police to clarify the circumstances of the road trip and file charges against Cloutier.
Meanwhile, misdeeds were committed in the ex-spouse’s apartment, which aroused suspicion among the police.
A camera was installed in the woman’s apartment. Richard Cloutier’s vehicle was equipped with a GPS signal.
Judge Thomas Jacques of the Quebec Court.
Photo: Radio Canada / Maxime Corneau
These investigative tools allowed police to link Richard Cloutier to a series of misdeeds committed in January 2021, which involved damaging the tires of his ex’s and his new spouse’s vehicle.
A window was also smashed and Cloutier dumped a can of windshield washer fluid, which instead contained gasoline, under the victim’s carport.
tic tac
He had written Tic Tac on the container, which earned him a harassment complaint.
Richard Cloutier admitted his guilt on those charges but has always denied responsibility for what he believed to be a traffic accident.
During his trial, he claimed to have suffered a blackout and not remember the moment before he left the street.
He pleaded his case without a lawyer and submitted expert reports to support his claims.
One of them concluded that Cloutier may have lost touch with reality due to his emotional disorders.
Judge Jacques noted that the experts had based their observations on the single statement made by Cloutier when he met them.
witness not credible
The judge pointed out that these interveners did not have the opportunity to read all of the evidence.
He also described the statements made by the accused during the trial as opaque and disingenuous.
The judge found contradictions and implausibilities that undermined his credibility.
He therefore dismissed her defense and ruled that Cloutier acted more in response to the applicant’s refusal to continue their relationship.
It was Me Christian Gauthier who presented the evidence to the DPCP in this case.
Robert Cloutier, who kept his head down as the judge announced the verdict, will return to court in May to try submissions.
Until then, he must meet with a parole officer to complete the pre-conviction report.