On Tuesday morning, the Parole Board of Canada denied Martin Morin-Cousineau’s request for both day and full parole. Morin-Cousineau is serving a life sentence at the Cowansville Detention Centre in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.
On Oct. 4, 2004, Martin Morin-Cousineau stabbed his 24-year-old girlfriend, Kelly-Anne Drummond, in the back of the head.
He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
In a decision that took the board less than 10 minutes, members said that Morin-Cousineau still hadn’t accepted full responsibility for what he did.
During the hearing, Morin-Consineau claimed he has changed.
He admitted for the first time to “throwing the knife” at Drummond.
He also told board members that he wants a second chance at life.
When asked what Drummond would say to him if she were alive today – he responded that he’d hope she’d say good things.
“I can see Kelly-Anne turning around to him and saying ‘I forgive you,’ cause that’s what Kelly-Anne would do,” said Doreen Haddad, Kelly-Anne Drummond’s mother. “For him to say that, I just don’t quite get what he was thinking, does he think she would just dismiss what he did to her?”
READ MORE: Parole denied for man who killed Kelly-Anne Drummond
In November 2014, Morin-Cousineau made a request for day parole, but it was refused.
In its decision, the parole board noted that Morin-Cousineau had “major anger problems” and that he still denied murdering Drummond.
Drummond’s parents, John Drummond and Doreen Haddad, did not attend the hearing.
Haddad however wrote an impact statement detailing how her and her family’s lives have evolved since her daughter’s death, explaining they are still missing a huge piece of their lives that was taken away by Morin-Cousineau.
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Haddad expressed hope the board would once again deny Morin-Cousineau’s request for parole saying she still doesn’t believe he has changed.
“I’m relieved because our streets again are safe. I don’t have to worry about our family nor any other woman coming into contact with him,” she said. “He needs to stay in prison until he owns the crime and he takes responsibility and he figures out with the help of correctional services how he’s going to get better.”
Morin-Cousineau has 60 days to appeal the decision.
He can reapply for parole in a year, or at an earlier time as determined by the Parole Board of Canada.
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