No verdict on Day 1 of deliberations in Quebec election-night shooting trial
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MONTREAL — The jurors deciding the fate of the man charged in Quebec’s 2012 election-night shooting ended their first day of deliberations on without returning a verdict.
Richard Henry Bain, 65, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of stagehand Denis Blanchette, as well as three counts of attempted murder.
The charges against Bain are connected to events outside the Metropolis nightclub as then-premier designate Pauline Marois was inside celebrating the Parti Quebecois’ election win.
The 12 member jury appeared in court twice on Saturday — once after requesting a written copy of the judge’s instructions and a chart outlining the potential verdicts for each charge, and a second time the jurors asked for a dictionary.
Superior Court Justice Guy Cournoyer granted the first request but denied the second, saying the jury should ask him directly for clarifications instead.
The jury is set to resume its work on Sunday.
On Friday, Cournoyer told the jury that the first task is to assess Bain’s mental state on the night of the Sept. 4, 2012, shooting.
Bain’s lawyer has argued he was mentally ill at the time and should be found not criminally responsible for his actions.
But the Crown has argued Bain was of sound mind and that the shooting was premeditated and triggered by his anger over the Parti Quebecois election victory.
The Canadian Press
©2016 The Canadian Press
