Quebec man charged in wife’s slaying at care facility to seek bail: lawyer

MONTREAL — The lawyer for a Montreal man charged with killing his wife says society and the courts will have to decide whether the alleged act constituted murder or assisted death.

Elfriede-Andree Duclervil said Friday she intends to seek bail for Michel Cadotte, who is facing a second-degree murder charge.

Duclervil said Cadotte doesn’t represent a risk to society and that some people see his alleged actions as driven by compassion.

“If we talk about assisted death we talk about compassion, we talk about kindness, we talk about empathy, we talk about dignity,” she told reporters.

“There’s no murder in empathy and compassion.”

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Cadotte, 55, appeared briefly in court and listened quietly as Duclervil asked for more time to prepare the case.

Cadotte was charged with second-degree murder in February, a day after Jocelyne Lizotte, 60, was discovered in cardiac arrest at a long-term care facility.

On the day of the death, Cadotte wrote on Facebook he’d “cracked,” consented to a request for assisted death and was waiting for police officers.

On Friday, Duclervil said she was waiting for Lizotte’s medical reports before she and her client decide whether the case requires a preliminary inquiry.

She said her client was still shaken by the events but grateful for the support he has received from his own family and the victim’s.

“He’s in shock, he’s very emotional, but he understands his particular situation,” she said.

“The fact he has the support of his family and Jocelyne Lizotte’s family helps him a lot.”

The case is scheduled to return to court April 18.

The Canadian Press