Jurors to deliberate for seventh day Friday at Bain murder trial

MONTREAL — Jurors at the murder trial of Richard Henry Bain failed to reach a verdict Thursday after having a message sent to their loved ones that they were OK.

They will return for a seventh day of work Friday as they continue to deliberate the fate of the man charged in the Quebec election-night shooting in 2012.

The jurors asked Superior Court Justice Guy Cournoyer if a court representative could call their families to let them know they were still working and doing fine.

Cournoyer weighed whether to let them call directly but then decided to allow a constable to contact the families.

Bain, 65, is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of lighting technician Denis Blanchette outside a Montreal nightclub where then-Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois was speaking after her election win on Sept. 4, 2012.

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He has pleaded not guilty to that charge and three counts of attempted murder, arguing he should be found not criminally responsible by way of mental illness.

The Crown has said Bain was not ill and that his assault was premeditated and politically motivated by anger over the PQ’s election victory.

If Bain is found not criminally responsible, the verdict would apply to all four charges and he would be sent to a mental institution until he is deemed fit to be released.

If the jurors don’t opt for the defence’s argument, they will have to render verdicts on each charge, with the possibility of first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter in Blanchette’s death. Acquittal is not an option on the first-degree murder charge.

One of the three charges of attempted murder relates to Blanchette’s fellow stagehand, Dave Courage, who was struck by the same bullet that killed Blanchette.

The two other charges relate to provincial police officer Stephane Champagne and a dozen other stagehands who were nearby when the weapon was fired.

Bain can be acquitted on all three attempted murder charges, but jurors will also have the option of considering the charge involving Courage as aggravated assault instead of attempted murder.

The jury of seven women and five men has been deliberating since Saturday morning.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press