A former Montreal mayor known for his jovial character was seriously injured in a violent traffic incident, according to a recent ruling that sentenced his attacker to three months of community service.
Posted at 12:00 p.m
Laurent Blanchard (metropolitan interim mayor for four months in 2013) suffered three facial fractures when motorist Philippe Gimonet punched him in June 2020. The event had never been made public until now.
“Hey old Criss. What did you do ? I’m going to kill you, my Tabarnak,” the attacker told Mr. Blanchard before hitting him, according to the decision of Montreal Municipal Court Judge Annie Claude Chassé. Mr. Blanchard – also driving – had just opened his car door and accidentally hit Mr. Gimonet’s car.
“I was driving on Hochelaga Road,” Mr. Blanchard recalled in a telephone interview Monday. After the initial altercation, the ex-choice went off to call 911, but his assailant caught up with him and blocked his path. “It’s June, so I had the window down. He took the opportunity to hit me and save himself. »
His license plate [d’immatriculation]that was his last name… So it wasn’t hard to find.
Laurent Blanchard, former Mayor of Montreal
One of the aggravating factors for Philippe Gimonet: the extent of the injuries suffered by the 43rd mayor of Montreal, who was 68 at the time of the events. “I had a triple fracture in my cheek, if I remember correctly, a beautiful black eye, I had to eat sluggishly for a month,” said Mr. Blanchard. He underwent surgery at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital. He still lives with the appearance of black spots in his vision and “the fear if a car comes next to him” that the experience will repeat itself.
The attacker did not recognize Laurent Blanchard.
apology letter and therapy
Philippe Gimonet, a 26-year-old with a troubled past, pleaded guilty to threats and assault. He asked for a conditional release from the courts. “Any other verdict would result in the loss of his client’s job,” said the defense, who works in the Montreal-Trudeau security zone.
Judge Chassé, however, refused.
“A reasonable and well-informed person would lose faith in the credibility of the judiciary if the defendant were acquitted of an assault in which a vulnerable person, a 68-year-old man, was seriously injured in a street rage connection. She wrote. Although occasional, the aggression does not solely result from the accused’s thoughtless gestures. He acted knowingly under the influence of anger. The seriousness of the crimes committed by Mr. Gimonet are significant. »
Instead, she sentenced him to three months in the community. During this time he always has to be at home except for work. He will be on probation for the next three years and will not be allowed to own a firearm for the next ten years.
Me Anthony El-Haddad, the attacker’s attorney, argued that his client was still satisfied with the district court’s decision.
“Mr. Gimonet wanted to admit his guilt. He wrote a letter of apology and immediately after his arrest started therapy to work on himself,” the lawyer said in a telephone interview. There will be no calling.
expressionless
Laurent Blanchard became Mayor of Montreal in June 2013 after his predecessor, Michael Applebaum, was arrested by the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC). Montreal, plunged into a serious political crisis, was its third mayor in less than a year.
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve’s elected official had promised a “quiet transition” until the autumn 2013 elections that crowned Denis Coderre. Mr. Blanchard was by then President of the Executive Committee and was selected by Montreal City Council to lead.
“It’s dizzying, exciting and scary, but I take comfort in the fact that I only have four months left,” joked Laurent Blanchard, known for his tongue-in-cheek humor, as he took the oath.
Laurent Blanchard, who was first elected locally in 2005, lost in his district in the 2013 local elections.