Advertisement

Crown won’t appeal case of Quebec man who killed wife suffering from Alzheimer’s

Michel Cadotte, accused of murder in the 2017 death of his ailing wife in what has been described as a mercy killing, arrives at the courthouse flanked by hs lawyers for his sentencing in Montreal on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press

The Crown says it won’t be appealing a sentence handed down last month to a Quebec man who killed his Alzheimer’s-stricken wife in 2017.

Quebec’s director of criminal and penal prosecutions said in a brief statement Tuesday it won’t seek a stiffer sentence for Michel Cadotte.

READ MORE: Advocates want Quebec Alzheimer’s case to start dialogue on caregiving support

Cadotte, 58, was sentenced May 28 to two years less a day in jail, three years of probation and 240 hours of community service.

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

A jury found Cadotte guilty of manslaughter on Feb. 23 for the suffocation death of his wife of 19 years in her long-term care bed.

Jocelyne Lizotte, 60, was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease and was unable to speak or care for herself.

Story continues below advertisement

READ MORE: Quebec man receives 2-year sentence in killing of wife with Alzheimer’s

The Crown had sought an eight-year prison term, citing the vulnerability of the victim and the violent nature of her death, while the defence had recommended a sentence of between six and 12 months.

Neither the Crown nor the defence was able to find any jurisprudence that could guide the judge on sentencing.

READ MORE: Jocelyne Lizotte’s sons tell court killing of their ailing mother was no act of compassion

Crown spokesman Jean Pascal Boucher says in a statement that following a rigorous examination of Quebec Superior Court Justice Helene Di Salvo’s decision, the decision was made not to appeal.

Boucher says that Lizotte’s family was advised of the decision.

Sponsored content

AdChoices