Latest news with #verdict
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Hamilton man found guilty for 2018 murder of Marko Bakir after orchestrating shooting
After one day of deliberations, a jury has found Alessandro Giammichele guilty of murdering Marko Bakir. The 12 jurors delivered the verdict to a Hamilton Superior courtroom on Tuesday morning where Bakir's family members sat along with a slew of homicide detectives. Giammichele, who goes by Gino, sat in the prisoner's box. The 31-year-old from Hamilton is tall with a dark beard. He appeared to have no outward reaction about the verdict. Bakir's family members gasped and cried when the verdict was read, and hugged the Crown attorneys afterwards. Giammichele was charged with first-degree murder in 2022 for orchestrating the shooting death of Bakir in 2018. He had pleaded not guilty. Another man Abdelaziz Ibrahim was also charged with first-degree murder of Bakir but died before the charges were resolved. He was accused of pulling the trigger on Giammichele's behalf. Justice Toni Skarica had finished instructing the 12-person jury on Monday at 10:30 a.m. He'd told them they could find Giammichele not guilty, guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of second-degree murder, or guilty of manslaughter. "I totally agree with that verdict," Skarica told the jury Tuesday morning. Crown said Giammichele hired hitman In the trial, the Crown and defence agreed that in September 2018, Bakir lent Giammichele, a drug dealer, $100,000 as an investment in what the jury heard was likely a drug-related business. The pair, who had become close, signed a contract with a payment plan, but Giammichele stopped following it after two partial payments. On November 22, 2018 around 8:15 p.m., Ibrahim shot Bakir, 31, to death in front of his home in Hamilton's west Mountain area, the Crown and defence agreed. The Crown said that it was Giammichele who hired Ibrahim through an alleged drug dealer. Giammichele did so, at least in part, because Bakir threatened to expose his criminal lifestyle to Giammichele's father and take him to court, the Crown said. "Marko lent Gino $100,000 and Gino had 100,000 reasons to want him dead," assistant Crown attorney Elise Quinn said in her closing argument on May 31. Giammichele turned off his phone and drove Ibrahim to the scene of the shooting, and communicated with Ibrahim before and after Ibrahim shot Bakir five times, Quinn said. "This is not a string of bad luck for Gino," Quinn said. "The cumulative effect of these events makes it absolutely improbable that these are just a series of unfortunate coincidences, especially when you consider all the other evidence in this case." For example, the Crown interviewed one witness during the trial who told police Giammichele had confessed to him. The defence argued that the witness lied and only told police that because they kept coming to question him. The Crown also presented evidence that when he was in the Dominican Republic in 2019, Giammichele used Google to translate phrases about him being a hitman and involved in violent crimes. The defence had countered that Giammichele was boasting to impress women and other people in the drug trade. Shooter died of drug poisoning in 2022 During the trial, defence lawyer Kendra Stanyon had argued the evidence against her client was inconclusive and did not establish his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. "Suspicion is not enough. 'Maybe,' is not enough. 'Likely,' is not enough. Even 'probably,' is not enough," she said in her closing statement. Stanyon also said the Crown's narrative was illogical. For example, she said Giammichele already had a plan to meet Bakir in a private location to pay him back, so he had no need to kill him — especially in a neighbourhood full of potential witnesses. What's more, Stanyon added, Giammichele did nothing to hide potential evidence against him on his phone, which she said he unlocked for the police. But ultimately the jury accepted the Crown's version of events when they found Giammichele responsible for Bakir's death. The accused shooter, Ibrahim, was 25 years old when he died in August 2022 in the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ont. A 2024 coroner's inquest found the Hamilton man died accidentally of acute toxicity of fentanyl.
Irish Times
30-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Richard Satchwell found guilty of murdering his wife in 2017
Richard Satchwell has been found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of the murder of his wife at their Co Cork home in 2017. There was audible sobbing from several members of Tina Satchwell's family as the verdict was given on Friday, with some members of the jury also in tears. Satchwell sat impassively in the court. Ms Satchwell's skeletal remains were found in a deep grave in an area under the sittingroom stairs of the couple's home in October 2023, more than six years after her husband reported her missing. READ MORE [ 'Tina had no way of getting away from him': The full story of the Richard Satchwell murder trial Opens in new window ] [ Gardaí ignored 'red flags' in Tina Satchwell murder investigation Opens in new window ] Satchwell (58), a lorry driver, had pleaded not guilty to murdering the 45-year-old at Grattan Street, Youghal, on March 19th and 20th, 2017. Friday was the 23rd day of the trial, which heard evidence from more than 50 witnesses. The jury went out at 3.05pm on Tuesday to its deliberations and continued through Wednesday and Thursday, when they had considered the matter for eight hours and 37 minutes. Tina Satchwell They resumed deliberations just after 11.30am on Friday and returned with their verdict at around 12.25pm, after nine hours and 28 minutes deliberating. Several of Ms Satchwell's relatives, including her mother Mary Collins, half-sister Lorraine Howard and cousin Sarah Howard, were in the packed court for the verdict. Lorraine Howard, Tina Satchwell's half sister, pictured leaving the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. Photograph: Collins Courts Mr Justice Paul McDermott thanked the jury for their service on a 'difficult' case. He said the next stage of the process is sentencing, which is his role, and he adjourned the matter to June 4th. The mandatory sentence for murder is life imprisonment. The three possible verdicts open to the jury were: not guilty of murder; guilty of murder; and not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. It was also open to them to consider, depending on their view of the evidence, a defence of partial self-defence or full self-defence. [ What the jury didn't hear: How Richard Satchwell tried to have murder charge withdrawn Opens in new window ] [ 'Tina was portrayed in a way that is not true to who she was': Tina Satchwell's family describe 'kind, loving and gentle soul' Opens in new window ] The trial heard Satchwell went to Fermoy Garda station on March 24th 2017, where he told a garda his wife had left their home four days earlier. He said he believed she had left him and had taken their €26,000 in cash savings. He told a garda he was not concerned about her safety. After gardaí interviewed him in early May 2017, he formally reported his wife as a missing person. Increasingly concerned 'something untoward' had happened to Ms Satchwell, gardaí obtained a warrant to search the couple's home in June 2017 and seized devices, including a laptop. An examination of the laptop in 2021 showed two YouTube videos concerning the interaction between water and quicklime, which can be used to disguise decomposition odours, were viewed on March 24th, 2017. In October 2023, gardaí carried out a full invasive search of the property using a cadaver dog. Skeletal remains identified being those of Ms Satchwell were found on October 11th, 2023, in a grave site about one metre deep in an area under the stairs in the sittingroom. The scene at Richard and Tina Satchwell's home in Youghal as her remains were removed following a search in 2023. Photograph: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision After the remains were found, Satchwell was rearrested and told gardaí his wife had come at him with a chisel on the morning of March 20th, 2017. He said he fell and she came on top of him trying to stab him with the tool. He said that while he fended her off with the belt from her dressing gown robe, which was up around her neck, she went limp and died. He told gardaí there was 'no premeditation' and he had not called emergency services due to 'panic and shame'. He said he put Ms Satchwell's body on the couch and then stored it in their freezer for about two days before burying her on March 26th in a grave he dug under the stairs and then cemented over. He was charged with her murder on the evening of October 12th, 2023, after his solicitor, with whom he had 25 earlier consultations, had left the station. He replied: 'Guilty or not guilty, guilty.' The defence argued that was done without him having legal advice and without having the ingredients of murder and manslaughter being explained to him. A postmortem on the decomposed remains was unable to establish a cause of death. The jury heard there was no evidence of fractures to the bones, including the hyoid bone in the neck. In her closing address to the jury, prosecuting counsel Gerardine Small said Satchwell was an 'arch manipulator' who told 'a plethora of lies' about his wife's disappearance with the objective of putting everyone 'off the scent' because he 'murdered her'. Richard Satchwell arriving at the District Court where he was charged with murdering Tina Satchwell in October 2023. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire The manner in which he buried his wife was 'absolutely disrespectful' and, after her remains were found, he gave a 'nonsense' account of how she died, counsel said. She said Ms Satchwell's death was 'not an accident' nor a result of him acting in self-defence and that his account to gardaí was 'totally focused on trying to protect himself'. Ms Small said the prosecution did not know the cause of death because Satchwell had 'ensured that' was the case, but there was sufficient evidence to return a murder verdict. Closing the case for the defence, senior counsel Brendan Grehan said Satchwell was guilty of weaving 'a web of lies' and engaging in 'disreputable' conduct after his wife's death, including his 'awful' offer to her cousin of the freezer where he stored his wife's body, but that 'did not make him a murderer'. He was 'certainly guilty of causing his wife's death' but there was no evidence he intended to kill or seriously injure her, counsel argued. The evidence was that the accused loved and 'worshipped' his wife, that she 'wore the trousers' in the relationship and was sometimes violent towards her husband, counsel said. There was no evidence he was ever violent towards her, he added. He said the prosecution had not called any expert evidence to show Satchwell's account of how his wife died was not possible. Towards the close of the trial, the jury was told by a tearful Lorraine Howard that, after Ms Satchwell's remains were returned to the family, they placed half of her ashes on the grave of her brother Tom and the other half on the grave of her grandmother, Florence.
Irish Times
30-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Richard Satchwell trial: jury resumes considering its verdict
A jury has resumed considering its verdict in the trial at the Central Criminal Court of Richard Satchwell, who denies the murder of his wife at their Co Cork home. The skeletal remains of Tina Satchwell were found under the couple's home in Youghal in October 2023, more than six years after her husband reported her missing. Mr Satchwell (58), a lorry driver, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife (45) at No 3 Grattan Street, Youghal, on March 19th and 20th, 2017. The trial, now in its 23rd day, heard evidence from more than 50 witnesses. READ MORE The jury of seven women and five men began considering their verdict about 3pm on Tuesday and continued their deliberations throughout Wednesday and Thursday. When sent home at 3.45pm on Thursday, at their request, they had deliberated for a total of eight hours and 37 minutes. They resumed their deliberations today just after 11.30am. Relatives of Ms Satchwell, including her mother Mary Collins, half-sister Lorraine Howard and cousin Sarah Howard were again in court today. Mr Justice Paul McDermott has told the jury there has three possible verdicts open to it – not guilty of murder; guilty of murder; and not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. The judge has directed they may also consider, depending on their view of the evidence, a defence of partial self-defence or full self-defence. The trial heard Mr Satchwell went to Fermoy Garda station on March 24th 2017, where he told a garda his wife had disappeared from their home four days later, and that he believed she had left him and had taken €26,000 cash savings. He told a garda he was not concerned about her safety. After gardaí interviewed him in early May 2017, he formally reported his wife as a missing person. Gardaí, increasingly concerned something untoward had happened to Ms Satchwell, obtained a warrant to search the couple's home in June 2017 when devices were seized. In October 2023, gardaí carried out a full invasive search of the property, using a cadaver dog. Skeletal remains identified as Ms Satchwell were found on October 11th, 2023, buried in a grave site about one metre deep in an area under the stairs in the sittingroom. Mr Satchwell, who had been arrested but released before the remains were found, was rearrested. During an interview with gardaí, he told them his wife had flown at him with a chisel on the morning of March 20th, 2017, that he fell and that she came on top of him trying to stab him with the chisel. He said that while fending her off with the belt of her dressing gown robe, which was up around her neck, she went limp and died. He told gardaí there was 'no premeditation' and he had not called emergency services due to 'panic and shame'. He said he placed her body on the couch before moving it to a freezer for about two days after which he buried it in a grave dug by him under the stairs and which he had cemented over. A postmortem of the remains was, due to lapse of time, unable to establish a cause of death. The jury heard there was no evidence of fractures to the bones, including the hyoid bone in the neck. Prosecuting counsel Gerardine Small argued in her closing address to the jury that Mr Satchwell's account of how his wife died was 'nonsense' and submitted the evidence, including his own words and actions after her death, showed he had the necessary intent for murder, to kill or cause serious injury. He had a possible motive in that his wife had threatened to leave him, Ms Small said. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan argued the prosecution had called no expert evidence that Mr Satchwell's account of how his wife died was not possible. There was no evidence of fractures on her remains and no evidence that he had ever been violent to his wife, counsel said. Mr Satchwell had, after her death, told many lies and engaged in disreputable conduct but that did not make him a murderer, Mr Grehan submitted.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Emotional statements follow Alain Bellefeuille's guilty verdict for murder of police
It took the jury a little more than a day to reach their verdict in the trial of Alain Bellefeuille — guilty as charged for the first-degree murder of Sgt. Eric Mueller and the attempted murder of two other officers who were entering Bellefeuille's home in the early morning hours of May 11, 2023. The 41-year-old received two life sentences Saturday, to be served concurrently. He will have no chance for parole for 25 years — automatic for first-degree murder — and no chance of parole for 20 years for the attempted murders, also concurrently. Bellefeuille remained calm as the verdict was read, while his relatives in the courtroom gallery cried. He had admitted to killing Mueller and injuring constables Mark Lauzon and François Gamache-Asselin, but had maintained his innocence. He testified that he thought he was the victim of a home invasion that morning and didn't know he was firing at police. The officers had been dispatched to his rented rural house in Bourget, Ont., east of Ottawa, after a neighbour called 911 and reported hearing loud noises including shouting and gunfire, followed by silence. Crucial evidence in the case — for the Crown and the defence — came from the body-worn cameras of Mueller, Gamache-Asselin and other officers who arrived after the shots were fired, including then Const. Ionut "John" Mihuta, who arrested Bellefeuille. At the time, body-worn cameras were quite new for OPP. That footage can be seen in the following stories: Marie-France Ethier — Mueller's widow and mother of their two young children — told court Saturday in French that while Mueller was a dedicated officer, it was his family life that came first for him, and that he'd wanted to be a father more than anything else. He did all the cooking, took care of the house, spent dozens of hours at his daughter's bedside when she was in hospital, and understood "that his time and presence mattered to those he loved so much," she read from her victim impact statement. "The tragedy of losing a parent at such a young age, under any circumstances, has serious and harmful consequences for a child. But losing Eric under these violent and cruel circumstances, where the events will live forever in the media and in collective memory, will have lasting effects on my children and me," Ethier told court in French. "I hope this court can recognize the depth of our grief and loss, as well as the impact Eric's murder has had on our lives. No sentence can bring back our Eric or ease our pain, but your decision will help give us a sense of closure and reaffirm the value of the life Eric led, as well as the ultimate sacrifice he made." Mueller's mother, Ginette Mueller, told court she woke up at 2 a.m. the morning of the shooting "with a heaviness in my heart and a feeling of deep worry that I didn't understand," only for police to show up a few hours later and tell her her son had died. "He had achieved his dream of having a family ... two children, a lovely wife, and even though his sister Kathy lived far away, he loved laughing and sharing moments with her, sometimes at my expense. My daughter and I continue to suffer daily from this terrible, almost unreal nightmare from which we can never recover," she read in French from her victim impact statement. "Later, we will be able to tell the children that their dad was a hero to all of us, and we were and are so passionate about this extraordinary man who was their father, my son." Kathy Mueller wrote in English that when their father died in 1999, her brother was just 18. "Despite his own grief, he stepped up. He protected our mother and me without hesitation. That's who Eric was: effortlessly devoted, always dependable, always leading with quiet strength," she told court, reading from her statement. "So it came as no surprise when he became a police officer. Eric was a natural. Fair. Compassionate. Grounded. He made everyone around him feel safe." 'Life-changing impact' After Saturday's proceedings, OPP spokesman Bill Dickson read a joint statement from OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique, OPP union president John Cerasuolo and Mueller's family, saying the verdict "reinforces our focus on what Sgt. Mueller stood for — an unwavering commitment to the community, to his family and to the safety and protection of others." The verdict also took into account the "life-changing impact" felt by Lauzon and Gamache-Asselin, who "exhibited the highest standard of bravery in the face of life-threatening danger," Dickson added. "For nearly nine weeks, emotional testimonies and the public release of the body-worn camera video have significantly intensified the emotional impact that we have all been feeling since that heartbreaking morning of May 11, 2023. It has been especially hard for Sgt. Eric Muellers' family, the two wounded officers and their families, our OPP members, their loved ones, and for the entire community of Prescott-Russell," he said. Bellefeuille's defence lawyer, meanwhile, wrote in a statement that Bellefeuille's supporters are devastated. "On behalf of Alain, his family, and friends, and all of us who knew him to be utterly incapable of the crimes that were ascribed to him, we are completely heartbroken with this result," Russomanno wrote. Bellefeuille has 30 days to decide whether he wants to appeal. He had pleaded not guilty in March when his bilingual trial began in Superior Court in L'Orignal, Ont. — the oldest courthouse in Ontario. The Crown team consisted of Louise Tansey, François Dulude and Emma Loignon-Giroux, while Bellefeuille was represented by Russomanno and Biagio Del Greco. For 27 days, Mueller's family, dressed in black, and a large crowd of supporters and colleagues of the victims filled the wooden benches on the Crown's side of the courtroom gallery. On Saturday, there were hugs and sighs of relief among them when the verdict was read. Lauzon, who suffered life-altering injuries and has not returned to work, attended most days, and his frequent smiles and laughter during breaks stood out in a sea of sombre faces. Gamache-Asselin, who suffered a minor knee laceration and is back at work, occasionally attended. The defence side of the room behind the prisoner's box filled up at key moments, such as on the first day of Bellefeuille's testimony earlier this month, but on most days the proceedings were attended by his sister, mother and aunt. Bellefeuille often showed his gratitude to them by whispering or miming "I love you" from the prisoner's box. Security was tight. Two cruisers brought Bellefeuille to the small courthouse every day, with a team of special constables accompanying him through the same few entrances and hallways used by the public, jury, judge and lawyers. Two officers guarded the door inside the courtroom, and tactical officers were stationed outside the courthouse. Bellefeuille took the stand in his own defence. He testified he'd been asleep and was woken by his barking dog, flashing lights and banging outside his rented rural home. He said he immediately believed someone was trying to break in, and that he'd been afraid of such an attack ever since friends of his suffered a violent home invasion years earlier. Russomanno had urged the jury to consider the events from Bellefeuille's perspective, stressing that it all happened over the span of just four minutes — from the time police arrived to the time his client called 911 to report that he'd shot an officer. In the Crown's closing submissions, Tansey called Bellefeuille's actions that night "devastating, calculated and precise." Bellefeuille fired four separate volleys from his high-powered SKS rifle, which was equipped with an illegally modified magazine that could hold 22 rounds instead of the five allowed. He also removed Mueller's body-worn camera, hid it in his pocket, and later threw it into his neighbour's yard. The Crown argued that wasn't the behaviour of someone acting in self-defence, but rather of someone who had committed a "cold and calculated killing."
CTV News
16-05-2025
- CTV News
Jury delivers recommendations in student overdose case
Vancouver Watch After multiple days of deliberation, the jury in the coroner's inquest into the death of a University of Victoria student returned its verdict Thursday.
