Quebec election-night shooter Richard Bain appeals his sentence

The man responsible for Quebec's 2012 election-night shooting is appealing his sentence.

Richard Bain, 66, was convicted in August 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.

He was also found guilty on three counts of attempted murder.

• The Richard Bain murder trial in a snapshot

Bain was automatically sentenced to life in prison because he was convicted of murder.

Last month, Quebec Superior Court Justice Guy​ Cournoyer ruled Bain could only apply for parole in 20 years. But his lawyer Alan Guttman argues Bain should be eligible for parole after 10 years.

• Richard Bain not eligible for parole for 20 years

In court documents filed Friday, Guttman said the judge erred when he did not ask jury members for their recommendations on parole after they found him guilty.

He also argues that Cournoyer ignored jurisprudence in the precedent-setting case involving Denis Lortie.

Lortie killed three government employees at the National Assembly in 1984. He was eligible for parole after 10 years.

• Richard Bain murder trial: A selection of our coverage

Guttman is also appealing his client's sentence for the three counts of attempted murder on the grounds that his client only fired one bullet.

He also said Cournoyer didn't take all the circumstances into account, including Bain's age, his lack of criminal record,  his mental health and the fact that he had worked all his life.