The 2 males charged with murdering a 15-year-old lady in a drive-by taking pictures in Montreal in 2021 shot to kill regardless that they hit the mistaken goal, a Crown prosecutor informed a jury on Thursday.
Prosecutor Simon Lapierre recommended the accused, Salim Touaibi and Aymane Bouadi, drove to a parking zone on Feb. 7, 2021, to avenge a buddy who had been harm in a battle a day earlier as a part of an ongoing battle between two family-owned companies.
“With out hesitating, they shot to kill, minimal eight occasions,” he mentioned.
A kind of bullets fatally struck 15-year-old Meriem Boundaoui as she sat within the passenger seat of a automobile, Lapierre mentioned. “In the end, they made a mistake. They killed the mistaken individual. They killed a younger girl who had nothing to do with their story.”
The Superior Courtroom trial at Montreal’s courthouse has heard that Boundaoui was sitting within the passenger seat of a Volkswagen Jetta in Montreal’s St-Léonard borough when a white Mercedes with two males inside pulled up and considered one of them opened fireplace.
Each Bouadi and Touaibi are charged with first-degree homicide in her demise, in addition to the tried homicide of a number of folks standing close by.
Touaibi has mentioned he was the shooter, however testified he didn’t notice Boundaoui or anybody else was within the Jetta when he shot at it. His lawyer recommended to the jury earlier this week that his shopper had fired towards the Jetta as a result of he was afraid of being shot and needed to scare others close by. Touaibi ought to be convicted of manslaughter slightly than homicide, his lawyer mentioned.
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Bouadi’s lawyer, who delivered closing arguments earlier Thursday, argued his shopper was only a passenger within the Mercedes and ought to be acquitted.
Nonetheless, Lapierre informed the jury it doesn’t matter which man pulled the set off, and that each are equally culpable as lengthy they knowingly participated, inspired or helped in committing the crime.
“The accused participated within the infractions. That has been confirmed past an inexpensive doubt,” Lapierre mentioned of each males.
The Crown has mentioned Boundaoui was caught within the crossfire of a dispute between companies that originated in arguments over parking spots. One household, the Rekiks, owned a barbershop on Jean-Talon Avenue whereas the opposite, the Bensalems, owned a grocery retailer throughout from it. The accused have been associates with the Bensalem household, and had focused the Rekik household the day of the taking pictures, Lapierre alleged.
“The truth that they missed their goal doesn’t imply they didn’t have the required intention to be discovered responsible of homicide, or tried homicide,” he mentioned.
Earlier, Bouadi’s lawyer informed the jury his shopper was solely a “passive” presence using within the Mercedes’ passenger seat when Boundaoui was killed. “There may be not one iota of proof that Aymane Bouadi knew there was a gun within the automobile. It doesn’t exist,” mentioned Martin Latour, who mentioned his shopper has no prison report.
Latour mentioned Bouadi had solely gone along with his buddy to get meals, and was in a “complete panic” after Touaibi pulled out a gun and shot previous his head out the passenger aspect window. Latour additionally sought to deal with testimony of witnesses who informed the court docket they thought the gunfire had come from the Mercedes’ passenger aspect, the place Bouadi was sitting, suggesting they weren’t able to see clearly.
“It lasted two, three seconds, it was darkish,” he mentioned. “After which from the second you see the gun and it goes pow, pow pow … it’s onerous to think about the trauma somebody went by means of, seeing gun flashes,” he mentioned.
Latour mentioned a lot of the bullet casings in addition to gunpowder residue have been discovered contained in the automobile, suggesting the photographs had been fired from the motive force’s aspect. He added that there’s no motive to not imagine Touaibi when he mentioned he pulled the set off. “He’s onerous to not imagine, he’s incriminating himself,” the lawyer mentioned.
He mentioned Bouadi was so panicked after the taking pictures that he tried to get out of the automobile whereas it was driving on the freeway. Latour mentioned the Crown has did not show that his shopper dedicated or helped to commit a premeditated homicide or tried homicide, and harassed to the jury that they have to acquit if there may be affordable doubt.
“In case you suppose he’s most likely responsible … it’s not sufficient,” he mentioned.
Throughout his closing, Lapierre recommended to the jury that they need to not imagine the testimony of both accused. He reviewed cellphone and GPS knowledge that he mentioned recommended Bouadi was a participant within the occasions main as much as the taking pictures, opposite to Bouadi’s declare.
Lapierre’s closing arguments proceed Friday.
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