Richard Bain to appeal sentence of 20 years before parole eligibility
Parti Québécois rally shooter found guilty of 2nd-degree murder for death of stagehand Denis Blanchette
Richard Bain, found guilty of second-degree murder and several counts of attempted murder for Quebec's 2012 election-night shooting, will be appealing his sentence.
Bain was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of 48-year-old stagehand and father Denis Blanchette, who he shot and killed outside the Parti Québécois victory party on Sept. 4, 2012.
Last month, Quebec Superior Court Justice Guy Cournoyer handed Bain a life sentence with no chance of parole for 20 years.
Bain's lawyer, Alan Guttman, has confirmed his client will appeal. Guttman had argued for the minimum sentence of 10 years before becoming eligible to apply for parole.
Bain, 66, was also found guilty of three counts of attempted murder: one for the shooting of Dave Courage, one for an attempt on provincial police Sgt. Stéphane Champagne and one for an attempt on a group of stagehands who were standing outside the Metropolis concert hall.
The shooting happened outside Montreal's Metropolis on the night of Sept. 4, 2012, while then-PQ leader Pauline Marois celebrated her victory inside.
After the shooting, Bain infamously shouted, "The English are waking up!" before he climbed into a police cruiser.
After receiving Cournoyer's decision, Guttman told media that he thought the sentence was too severe.
"I know if this had been a murder without the political aspect, it wouldn't have even come close to 20 years," Guttman said last month.
