A driver who hit a teacher while breaking a picket line in Sherbrooke in 2021 decided to sue the person who called 911 to report the situation for $15,000.
Posted at 7:00 p.m.
Things were going very badly for him: in addition to dismissing the lawsuit, the courts have just ordered Gaétan Laguë to compensate the victim’s colleague, who was only doing “his duty” by calling for help. Coincidentally, the decision was made on the eve of the public sector strike.
Mr. Laguë accused Mathieu Cayer of alerting the authorities, which led to his arrest and the filing of criminal charges against him. However, the Sherbrooke resident was acquitted as the courts doubted his “guilty intent”.
But despite this acquittal, the civil action brought against Mr. Cayer was abusive, the Quebec court ruled, ordering its instigator to pay $2,000.
It is objectively incomprehensible and unreasonable to blame Mr. Cayer for the setbacks for his call to 911.
Judge Sophie Lapierre
“The responsibility for the police arrest, the criminal charges, the trial and the impact on Mr. Laguë’s private life is neither the result of the 911 call nor of any conspiracy for which he is allegedly responsible. Rather, it is due to the incident in which the injured person was injured.” “Ms. Arpin,” the professor who was hit by Mr. Laguë’s car, the judge continued.
Shock and pain
The facts go back to April 14, 2021. Gaétan Laguë will drive his child back to Triolet Secondary School in Sherbrooke.
“That morning, teachers demonstrated as part of a labor dispute,” said Judge Sophie Lapierre. Mr. Laguë insists on crossing the picket line and hits a teacher with his car, injuring him. He turns around, sets his son down a little further away and leaves the area. » The teacher “is in shock and suffers from pain in her knees”.
Mathieu Cayer, a professor and union representative, took part in the picket line but did not directly witness the clash. He is informed, goes to meet his colleague and decides to call 911.
By acting in this way, the teacher, “like any reasonably prudent and diligent person, is assisting by ensuring that 911 is called,” judge Sophie Lapierre ruled.
“Mr Laguë’s appeal and his decision to continue it until the hearing constitute the misuse of a legal remedy. He acted hastily. Her appeal was clearly unfounded and doomed to failure, she continued. Mr Laguë must be ordered to pay damages to Mr Cayer. »
“Several sleepless nights, stress”
In an interview with La Presse this week, Gaétan Laguë continued to blame Mr. Cayer for many of the “frustrations and fears that this brings.”[il a] had and that [sa] Family lived.”
“I want to move on because I’ve spent too much energy and a lot of money on certain people and they get away with absolutely no consequences,” he said. I regret everything that happened on the criminal side, on the police side, on the DPCP side. There was no one who wanted to help me. »
Mr. Laguë reiterated that he still intends to respect the small claims ruling: “I have until November 2nd, I will pay it.” »
For his part, Mathieu Cayer said he was “satisfied” with the decision.
“It was very long. “Several sleepless nights, stress, many, many hours of searching and understanding,” he explained over the phone. Throughout the entire process, I had difficulty understanding how to press charges against the person who called 911 has.”
“At least it’s over. We have put this behind us,” he added.
Richard Bergevin, president of the Estrie Education Union, reported that the teacher hit by Mr. Laguë required treatment for several months to heal her legs.
“She’s doing well today,” reported the trade unionist.
Mathieu Cayer had “simply demonstrated good civic judgment,” he added, welcoming the small claims decision.