Open in full screen mode The verdict automatically carries a life sentence for the 38-year-old man.
Alexandre Boudreau-Chartrand was found guilty of the unpremeditated murder of Andréane Ouellet, his partner and the mother of his five children, Saturday morning at the Joliette courthouse.
This verdict automatically carries a life prison sentence for this 38-year-old man from Saint-Donat.
The jury, which decided after three days of deliberations, recommended that the defendant cannot apply for parole for 13 years. Sentencing submissions will take place on October 24.
The murder occurred on September 27, 2021 at the couple's home. Andréane Ouellet died after receiving violent and repeated blows to the head which caused a cerebral hemorrhage and the separation of brain membranes. She was 32 years old.
Alexandre Boudreau-Chartrand
It was Boudreau-Chartrand who alerted the emergency services. In the recording of his 911 call, which was filed as evidence by the prosecution, he says he found his partner unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. He suggests that she attempted suicide by taking drugs and alcohol.
However, the jury did not believe to his version of the facts. The testimonies of the experts in this case indeed suggest that things turned out differently.
The pathologist did not reveal any trace of alcohol in the victim's blood at the time of death, explained Me Valérie Michaud, Crown prosecutor. A therapeutic dose of medication, consistent with the doctor's prescription, was detected.
Andréane Ouellet
The autopsy shows that violent blows to the head with a blunt object caused the fatal injuries. The pathologist concluded beyond any doubt that a fall down a staircase could not have caused such serious injuries.
A fractured nose, laceration to the chin and numerous bruises on the body were also discovered during the autopsy.
For her part, the biologist who examined the crime scene did not find blood on the stairs of the house. However, she discovered traces of blood in several places in the house, including on textiles.
The couple was known to have relationship difficulties . Neighbors also heard screams coming from the house in the days and hours before the murder.
The lifeless body of Andréane Ouellet was found in this residence in Saint-Donat.
Before calling the emergency services, Boudreau-Chartrand went to an important meeting where Andréane Ouellet was also invited. He justified his partner's absence by the fact that she was intoxicated and had stayed at home to sleep.
The man also told a witness that he and his partner had been arguing all weekend. The assassin cited alcoholism and the infidelity of his partner as the reason for these disputes. The children were not present at the time of the murder.
With information from Élyse Allard