Pascal Martel will serve 11 years in prison for the horrific acts against Florent Dumas, a sentence described as exemplary at the Trois-Rivières courthouse in Mauricie.
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Judge Annie Vanasse supported the joint proposal by attorneys for both parties.
“Generally, the range for this type of offense is four to eight years. When we talk about a fork, we’re talking about what is usually asked in similar cases. I think it’s unusual there,” said Crown Prosecutor Me Benoît Larouche.
Emotionally, the judge didn’t mince words about Martel.
“There are no words to describe what he did. “It’s despicable, sadistic, pathetic… It’s the height of human baseness,” she added, looking him straight in the eye.
Martel remained cold throughout the proceedings. The pain does not impress those close to it.
“He had sentences for drugs, for violence, for caning, for burglary, and you’re going to tell me eleven years would have exonerated us? A lot!” expressed one of Pascal Martel’s ex-spouses.
In order to demonstrate the inhumane behavior of the accused, the prosecutor presented a series of videos in which we can see Florent Dumas in degrading situations or even engaging in sexual acts with an animal.
It was impossible for the victim’s family to look at the pictures in the courtroom, several came out.
Florent Dumas’ two sisters have read a letter to show how much pain they have endured since the death of their little brother. One ended her reading by saying she would never forgive the accused for what he had done.
The judge hopes the sentence handed down will deter other people who would have wanted to commit such a crime from taking action, while also deterring Pascal Martel from starting over after his departure.
The body of Florent Dumas was found buried in the courtyard of a Nicolet apartment building in May 2022. The 51-year-old victim is said to have been abused by Pascal Martel for several months.