Moments after being acquitted of two counts of first-degree murder, Claude Paquin told the Quebec Superior Court judge that he was finally able to escape the hell he has been living in for more than 40 years.
“I now have total freedom,” Paquin, 81, told a group of reporters at the Montreal courthouse on Wednesday.
His acquittal brought an end to his decades-long fight to prove his innocence that featured multiple twists, including the now-discredited testimony of a police informant.
His court victory comes just months after federal Justice Minister Arif Virani ordered his second trial. That decision was based on new information in the case which, according to the minister, showed that a “miscarriage of justice likely occurred.”
In light of this new evidence, the Crown prosecutor announced on Wednesday it would not pursue the second trial.
Claude Paquin, middle, told the judge that the decision to acquit him has freed him from a hell he’s been living for more than 40 years. He is seen here joined by his two lawyers, Nicholas St-Jacques on his left and Julie Harinen on his right. (Sharon Yonan-Renold/CBC)
Paquin was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Ronald Bourgouin and Sylvie Revah, a couple killed in 1978 in the Laurentians. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.
In 1987, the Court of Appeal of Quebec dismissed his appeal. On Oct. 27, 1988, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed his application for leave to appeal.
The waiting period for his parole eligibility was eventually reduced. He was granted full parole in 2001, but he has dealt with strict release conditions that, starting Wednesday, no longer apply.
But Paquin said he never lost hope.
“I always told myself something would happen,” he said. “I’ll try to enjoy my life, the time that I have left,”
Informant’s testimony questioned
Paquin says his acquittal would not have been possible without the work of his lawyers who are part of Projet Innocence Québec. The group helps people who it believes have been wrongfully convicted.
According Nicolas St-Jacques, the group’s vice-president, Paquin stood trial with two other people who were also accused of first-degree murder. A separate trial was held for a fourth person. The Crown believed Paquin orchestrated the murders and two of the three other men carried them out.
The case relied heavily on Bernard Provençal, a well-known police informant. But over the years, St-Jacques and his team found evidence that raised questions about his credibility.
The man Provençal claimed shot one of the victims appealed his conviction. The Crown eventually decided to drop the first-degree murder charge and he was ultimately found guilty of the lesser charge of being an accessory after the fact.
This development, which Projet Innocence Québec found out about while working on Paquin’s case, contradicted the informant’s claim that he was the shooter. The group also found information that strongly suggested the informant received money and favours from police in exchange for testimony against Paquin.
‘I’m free’
The last 46 years have taken a toll on Paquin.
“I’m not the man I was 40 years ago,” he said.
He says it’s too early to talk about pursuing legal action for his wrongful conviction.
WATCH | In April, Paquin’s lawyer reacted to minister ordering new trial:
Even after his release in 2001, there were times he couldn’t travel further than 50 kilometres away from his home. Now, he’s looking forward to getting a Canadian passport and possibly travelling with his loved ones.
“The main thing is that I’m free,” he said. “Freedom is important, don’t you think?”
The 81-year-old says he’s thankful for the work of his legal team, who believed him when very few others did.