In a rather unusual gesture, Judge Jean-Jacques Gagné of the Quebec Court of Justice suggested that the Crown should accept a motion to dismiss Tommy Rioux, one of the four Farfadaas charged with mischief and conspiracy to block the Louis-Hippolyte La – Fontaine Bridge Tunnel, March 2021.
Posted at 1:55 p.m
The other three defendants, Mario Roy, Steeve Charland and Karol Tardif, remain indicted and are due to present their arguments on Thursday afternoon.
The judge’s suggestion to accept a non-charge motion, which was not challenged by Crown Prosecutor Martin Bourgeois, came as Mr Rioux took the stand to testify on the fourth day of the trial.
Although he admitted to being in the tunnel at the time of the blockade, none of the testimonies presented since the proceedings began suggested that Mr Rioux was in any way involved in organizing the breakout or even knew the incident was going to happen.
The four co-defendants in this case are representing themselves, without a lawyer. This situation forces the judge to accompany them in the judicial process, but without representing them, a delicate balancing act in which he must regularly intervene to ensure the legality of the process.
“If Mr. Rioux had been represented by a lawyer at the time, he would have filed a motion to be released,” the judge said. “In terms of conspiracy, I think evidence is lacking, and in terms of mischief, an element is missing,” he added, without specifying the element.
I am super grateful to the judge for his educational side. i never felt [devant la Cour] like someone called a conspirator. Me, I’m a humanist, a hippie, I live in my truck.
Tommy Rioux leaves the courtroom
The Crown ended cross-examination of Mario Roy in the morning, focusing on the motivations that led him to organize the stunt in the tunnel rather than anywhere else. “Demonstrating is useless in Quebec. We’re not being listened to,” he said.
“But why choose a tunnel, in the dark, underground, with no banners, no sign, when you want visibility?” Judge Gagné asked him. Answer that. Think about it.” Mr. Roy then explained that an ex-soldier he knows had already told him that to make an impact he had to “get into the vein” of the metropolis.
Steeve Charland, who describes himself as the spokesman for the Farfadaas, and Karol Tardif both said the tunnel event was aimed at denouncing police brutality and should be peaceful. “At that time, police brutality was getting worse,” Ms Tardif explained. ” When I go [manifester] In a cornfield I will have no influence. »
“Where should we go to be heard? ‘ asked Steve Charland.
“It took three minutes. With all the times we see the tunnel being blocked, I didn’t expect it to have such serious consequences,” he added.
“It is clear that the purpose of the operation was to create a sensation. In that sense, I participated. I didn’t think it would go that far.”