MONTREAL — A sentencing hearing for a Montreal man who was convicted of manslaughter in the death of his ailing wife has begun with emotional testimony from members of the victim’s family.
Jocelyne Lizotte’s son Danick Desautels says he lost his mother three times: once when his father died and she grew distant, once when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and finally when Michel Cadotte ended her life.
A jury found Cadotte guilty of manslaughter Feb. 23 in the smothering death of his wife at a long-term care facility.
Defence lawyers argued their client was in a disturbed state of mind and acted impulsively on Feb. 20, 2017, seeking to end his wife’s suffering.
But Desautels told the court today he believes Cadotte acted in his own interest, to end his suffering rather than Lizotte’s.
There is no minimum sentence for manslaughter in cases, except when a firearm was used.