Final arguments at trial of Quebec man accused in abduction of elderly U.S. couple
MONTREAL — Closing arguments are underway at the trial of a Quebec man charged in connection with the kidnapping of a couple from Upstate New York who were smuggled into the province and held captive.
Gary Arnold has told the jury that he was threatened by a man known simply as “Big” to do various jobs in September 2020, but he says he never met the kidnapping victims and knew nothing of the plot.
Arnold’s lawyer, John T. Pepper, insisted today his client feared for the safety of his family and followed orders due to threats, suggesting to jurors the Crown did not prove his client knew anything about the abduction.
Arnold faces seven charges, including kidnapping, unlawful confinement, extortion and conspiracy, stemming from the abduction of James and Sandra Helm on Sept. 27, 2020.
