Toronto lawyer convicted in husband’s 2011 murder granted bail pending appeal

TORONTO – A Toronto lawyer who conspired with his lover to kill his husband has been released on bail while he appeals his murder conviction.

Demitry Papasotiriou-Lanteigne and his lover, Michael Ivezic, were convicted in June of first-degree murder in the killing of Allan Lanteigne. Both were sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Court documents show Papasotiriou-Lanteigne, 38, is seeking to appeal his conviction, alleging the jury’s verdict was unreasonable because it was based entirely on circumstantial evidence.

The pair’s murder trial heard Papasotiriou-Lanteigne was in Greece, where he owns a home, when his husband was bludgeoned to death at their Toronto residence in March 2011.

However, court heard Ivezic – with whom Papasotiriou-Lanteigne was having an affair – had returned to Toronto after visiting his lover in Greece and his DNA was found under Lanteigne’s fingernails.

Prosecutors alleged Papasotiriou-Lanteigne arranged to have his husband arrive at the couple’s home at a certain time, while Ivezic waited to carry out the killing.