A young Montreal man accused of killing his mother during an argument is said to have assaulted her by stabbing her 33 times, it was revealed at the start of his trial this morning.
“Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you,” said Francis Normand as he committed his crime.
The 25-year-old sat in the dock listening intently as the Crown made its opening statement at his murder trial this Thursday at the Montreal Courthouse.
According to prosecution evidence, Normand is believed to have killed his mother, Francine Roux, 49, at her rue Gilford home on January 17, 2021. An argument would have broken out that night and for some reason not yet explained to the jury, he would have used a knife to stab her.
“The pathologist found 33 wounds on the victim’s body, including one gash from the blow, several in the chest, abdomen and back,” said prosecutor Me Katerine Brabant.
However, if the murder had occurred alone in the accommodation, neighbors, including the defendant’s uncle who lived upstairs, would have heard the mother’s screams.
“He made the decision to go under, he thought then [la victime] on the floor, bloody, said the crown. The accused stood next to her, motionless, with bloodied hands.
When police arrived, the accused was lying in bed in a “unique” condition.
“He appeared to be drunk,” the suit reported, adding that Normand was later taken to the hospital.
During the trial, which is scheduled to last a few weeks, the crown wants to summon both civil and police witnesses and experts. The prosecutor emphasized that Normand’s degree of intoxication would also be “a matter of interest”.
The defendant, who is being defended by Me Catherine Daniel-Houle and Me Ulisce Desmarais, pleaded not guilty. The jury trial will be presided over by Judge James L. Brunton.