Jeffrey St. Cloud was arrested by Montreal police and taken into custody on four charges, including assault with a weapon and aggravated assault. His bail hearing was adjourned to Thursday.
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A man who assaulted a Montreal bus driver in a case that set a precedent for bail decisions across Canada is seeking re-release in a new case in a Montreal court where he is once again charged with aggravated assault.
On April 24, 2013, Jeffrey St. Cloud, now 31 years old, and two others accused STM bus driver Marc-Olivier Fortin of opening his car door for three people while stopped at a red light. When he refused, he assaulted him. The injuries that left Fortin in a coma on Saint-Laurent Boulevard were so severe that the Supreme Court of Canada later described the crime as “heinous.”
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Mr Saint-Cloud was released on bail while his case was pending, but the Crown said the crime was too serious and that informed members of the public and those with details behind the incident should be trusted. appealed the decision on the basis that it would lose. If St. Cloud was granted bail, the justice system should take action.
The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2015 to deny Saint-Cloud bail.
“In the face of such a brutal attack…[which was]captured on videotape leaving no doubt that the suspect was an active participant in the assault, the common sense of our society… “I believe that if you are a member, you have tremendous confidence in our judicial system, and that value will be undermined if the defendant’s interim detention is not ordered,” Chief Justice Richard Wagner said. Nine years ago, I wrote a letter on behalf of the Supreme Court of Canada.
The following year, St. Cloud was sentenced to five years in prison for the attack.
To this day, the decision to deny him bail remains a popular topic in Montreal courts, with the Crown deciding to release the defendant on bail based on the argument that an informed public could lose confidence in the judiciary. If the court argues that the court should refuse the ruling, the precedent judge should follow suit. system if the person is released.
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St. Cloud was actually sentenced to three years in prison when time already served was factored into his sentence in 2016. It expired in May 2019.
Last weekend, St. Cloud was arrested by Montreal police and taken into custody on four charges, including assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault. The alleged crime took place in 2020.
He was scheduled to have a bail hearing on Tuesday, but defense lawyer Alexandre Goyette asked Quebec Court Judge Tristan Desjardins to move the case to Thursday instead.
In requesting the postponement, Goyette said, “After consultation with the prosecutor’s office, a release plan, including bond, must be presented.”
The defense also asked that St. Cloud be given access to a cell phone so he could call people who would support his request for release, including his mother.
“In 2024, no defendant (person) will have memorized the phone number to contact (those who can advocate for release). It is very difficult to work under such conditions,” Goyette said. said.
The judge agreed to the delay and ordered St. Cloud’s cell phone brought into court for Thursday’s hearing.
St. Cloud appeared via video conference and expressed frustration at having to wait for his release hearing. He is a student and being detained has made it impossible for him to prepare for his upcoming exams, he said.
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https://montrealgazette.com/news/man-whose-assault-case-set-a-precedent-for-bail-across-canada-seeks-another-release