Montreal

Immacula Eugène sentenced to 15 months for elder abuse

A former seniors' residence caregiver who pleaded guilty to elder mistreatment has been sentenced to 15 months in jail.

Eugène pleaded guilty to assault, administering noxious substance to CHSLD St-Lambert-Sur-le-Golf patients

Immacula Eugène was sentenced to 15 months in jail on Feb. 4. (Radio-Canada)

A former seniors' residence caregiver who pleaded guilty to elder mistreatment has been sentenced to 15 months in jail.

Immacula Eugène worked at the CHSLD St-Lambert-Sur-le-Golf, a private-public long-term care facility for seniors in St-Lambert.

The 342 days Eugène has already served in jail will count toward the 15 month sentence.

She was arrested along with Marie-Margaret Pétimé in December 2013 on charges of administering a noxious substance, drug trafficking and conspiracy. Eugène was also charged in connection with an armed assault involving a pillow. 

Last February, she pleaded guilty to five of the six charges against her, including assault and administering a noxious substance to two people without their knowledge or consent.

Eugène hid the drugs, which she stole from another institution, in the seniors' applesauce.

A coroner's inquest into the death of one of the residents, 87-year-old Denise Beaulieu, showed her consumption of the noxious substance in question, Serax, likely contributed to the sudden deterioration of her health.