Crown challenges Adele Sorella's recall of day her daughters died

The prosecution in the trial of Adele Sorella is questioning the defendant's recollection of the events the day her daughters died.

The 52-year-old Laval woman is accused of the 2009 first-degree murders of her daughters Amanda and Sabrina. She is in the witness box for a third day, testifying in her own defence at the Laval courthouse.

Until now, Sorella has said she remembers saying good-bye to her mother on the morning of March 31, the day the girls died, and then recalls nothing until she woke up in her vehicle in a ditch, surrounded by people, following a car accident early the next morning.

She testified she has spent the years since her daughters' deaths trying to piece together what happened, through what she has read and heard from others.

In cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Simon Lapierre tried Thursday to get her to recall other details.

She said the night before the girls died, they'd performed in a theatrical show, where there was dancing and singing. She said it was a beautiful time, and she slept well that night.

Lapierre asked her about what she'd told various psychologists and psychiatrists in the years since — how she'd described in more detail the events of the morning: what they'd had for breakfast and who'd prepared it, for example.

Sorella said she had likely been describing to them a typical day.

Lapierre asked if she had specified to them that she was describing a regular day, and not March 31, 2009. Sorella said she couldn't recall.

Told psychiatrist more: Crown

Lapierre asked about a meeting with psychiatrist Dr. Gilles Chamberland last summer in which she described the time they awoke, how the girls were dressed and how she kept them home, believing they had a dental appointment that day.

She had believed she'd take them to school after that appointment, he said she told Chamberland.

"Do you remember saying those exact words to Dr. Chamberland?" Lapierre asked.

"If that's what's written, then that's what I said," Sorella replied.

Lapierre asked Sorella about the next memories she has said she recalls from the day her children died — realizing she'd had a car accident, in the middle of the night.

"If I suggest to you that your accident was, in fact, a suicide attempt, would that be right?" asked Lapierre.

"No, that is not right," answered Sorella. "I don't recall having suicidal thoughts. I wasn't suicidal at the time."

Lapierre continued, asking Sorella about her memory blackout that day.

"It never happened before"" he asked.

"No," replied Sorella.

"And it never happened since?" he persisted.

"No," Sorella replied again.

"Would I be right to say that March 31, 2009 is the only time in your entire life that you had a blackout," asked Lapierre.

"Yes," replied Sorella.

On Thursday afternoon, psychiatrist Gilles Chamberland was in the witness box for the defence.

The trial continues before Superior Court Justice Sophie Bourque and a jury of six women and six men.