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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Defence targets Crown witness in Labossière trial

By: Kevin Rollason

Posted: 01/31/2012 1:00 AM

DID the Crown's key witness help kill an elderly couple and their son in an isolated farmhouse near St. Leon at the bidding of their other son? Or did the Crown cut a deal with Jeremie Toupin, who is actually the main culprit in the slayings?

It will soon be up to a nine-man, three-woman Court of Queen's Bench jury to decide.

On Monday, Crown attorney Brian Bell and defence counsels Todd Boursier and Evan Roitenberg gave differing views of Toupin. The man admits he participated in the triple killing in November 2005, but he is now a witness for the prosecution -- accepting a second-degree murder conviction but receiving 15 years off his parole eligibility.

Bell said Toupin's testimony is credible and the jury should convict Jér¥me Labossière and Michael Hince of first-degree murder for the slayings.

Fernand Labossière, his wife, Rita, and son, Rémi, were shot and then burned beyond recognition in a house fire.

Court has been told Labossière allegedly paid Toupin and Hince $10,000 to kill the three.

"There's no hatred by these two (Toupin and Hince) towards the three -- their motive was wholly supplied by Jér¥me Labossière," Bell said.

"Jeremie Toupin may be unsure about some things, but is he being deliberately misleading? We say no."

Bell said the jury should find Jér¥me Labossière guilty of first-degree murder -- because he planned the triple slaying -- while Michael Hince should be found guilty of committing the killings.

But Boursier said Toupin's evidence shouldn't be believed because he came up with the story to help himself. Boursier pointed to what he called a "sweetheart" deal with the Crown in return for his testimony.

"He said whatever he could to deflect blame on anybody else," the lawyer said. "This may have been a home invasion or a break and enter that went wrong.

"He had a motive to lie."

As well, Boursier reminded the jury that many times Toupin said he was "pretty sure" when questioned about aspects of the case.

"Pretty sure means Jér¥me Labossière is not guilty," the lawyer said.

Roitenberg, Hince's lawyer, also said the jury shouldn't believe anything Toupin said.

"Lies, lies and more lies -- that's what you got from Jeremie Toupin," he said.

"How do you tell if he's lying? Our clue should be if his lips are moving... Remember, he's the cold-blooded killer who pulled the trigger and sparked the fire. He's getting a tremendous deal from the prosecution.

"Don't give him the last laugh as well."

Justice Brenda Keyser will give her instructions to the jury on Wednesday and then jurors will begin deliberating.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 31, 2012 A3

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