Judge urges jury ‘to exercise patience' in McGill Ghetto murder trial
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One of the jurors in the murder trial of the man accused of stabbing 24-year-old Romane Bonnier in the McGill Ghetto more than three years ago expressed their impatience over how François Pelletier has been testifying in the case.
The frustration was expressed in a note sent from the 12-member jury to Superior Court Justice François Dadour on Tuesday afternoon while Pelletier, 39, was in his fifth day of testifying in his own defence. He is acting as his own lawyer, and this has created the unique situation where Pelletier is not answering questions.
His testimony is in the form of a long monologue full of confusing asides, references to songs and other cultural references. Pelletier has often taken more time to explain his asides than he has referred to actual evidence. For example, he has mentioned a television show called Black Mirror at least a few times and, earlier on Tuesday, the juror asked the judge if they can watch one hour-long episode.
The Crown's theory in the case is that Pelletier met Bonnier through an ad she placed seeking a roommate to share an apartment she was already renting. Pelletier moved in and they started what turned out to be a brief relationship. Pelletier moved out on Sept. 1, 2021 and sent Bonnier many text messages for weeks asking why she ended it. On Oct. 19, 2021, he staked out Bonnier's workplace, a store owned by her parents, and followed her as she walked home before he killed her.
Following a morning of hearing similar testimony, the jury member sent Dadour a note 'concerning the evidence of Mr. Pelletier.'
The juror wrote that the 'mental health of the jury is important' to the trial. The person wanted to address 'the elephant in the room' and called Pelletier's testimony repetitive and lacking relevance.
When Pelletier testified Tuesday morning about a relationship he had with a different woman in 2010, one of the male jurors could be seen leaning back in his chair with his head staring at the ceiling. He appeared to have tuned out Pelletier.
'It is common to have a witness testify for days, if not weeks,' Dadour told the jury in his reply to the note. 'His examination takes the form of a monologue because he is not being asked questions.'
He said that 'all judges must be patient,' reminded them that Pelletier is close to finishing his testimony and noted that the accused will soon be cross-examined by one of the two prosecutors in the case.
'I invite you to exercise patience,' the judge said. 'We have started this trial and now we must finish it.'
While testifying, Pelletier has admitted several times that he stabbed Bonnier 26 times on Aylmer St. in front of several stunned witnesses.
In her opening statement to the jury, prosecutor Marianna Ferraro told the jury the case is not a whodunit. This is because the horrific slaying was recorded by a surveillance camera and the jury has now seen the video. The questions for the jury to consider will involve what was Pelletier's state of mind when he killed Bonnier.
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