The murder of a Laval woman killed by her ex-boyfriend — a former RCMP marksman — could have been prevented had police done their job, a Quebec court has ruled.
In a ruling issued Tuesday, Quebec Superior Court Judge Steve Remnitz said there is ample evidence that the 2001 murder of Lucie Gélinas could have been avoided and the other people injured in the incident could have been spared harm.
Gélinas was gunned down by her former boyfriend, Jocelyn Hotte, during a high-speed car chase on June 23, 2001, on Montreal's Highway 40.
Hotte chased Gélinas's car with his SUV and showered her vehicle with bullets, killing her and injuring three of her friends who were in the car, one of whom was paralyzed as a result.
Hotte was convicted of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder in a trial by jury in 2002.
The three surviving passengers sued the City of Laval for damages, and Remnitz found in their favour Tuesday.
The total amount of damages will be determined at a later court hearing.
Remnitz said Gélinas could have been spared had the Laval police officers who responded to a 911 call she made in the week prior to her death taken her complaints seriously instead of treating the case like a run-of-the-mill domestic assault.
Gélinas called authorities complaining that Hotte was angry and depressed, had threatened to kill her and had his service pistol at his disposal. Laval police didn't file a report and didn't contact RCMP.
The judge was not convinced by the City of Laval's argument that it was Gélinas's friends who should have done more to protect her.
Hotte was once a member of a special RCMP police detail that provided security for former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Brian Mulroney.