The prosecution's indictment and the defense's pleadings take place this Tuesday, June 25 in the Assize Court, in the Vanessa Lagesse case.
During her presentation, Me Darshana Gayan, representative of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), affirmed that the prosecution is not obliged to prove motive in a case of murder. The lawyer also highlighted the reports of Professor Christian Doutremepuich, in which the DNA of Bernard Maigrot was found on two judicial seals.
Thus, during her intervention, Me Darshana Gayan returned to the relationship between Bernard Maigrot and Vanessa Lagesse. She recalled that, in some cases, there is no direct evidence and that the prosecution must rely on circumstantial and indirect evidence.
The “inconsistencies” in Bernard Maigrot’s statements were also mentioned by the prosecution. Me Darshana Gayan argued that the accused had the time and opportunity to go to Vanessa Lagesse's home during the night of March 9 to 10, 2001, after he returned around 1 a.m. from a dinner and a break with Martine Desmarais. The lawyer also specified that, according to Dr. Satish Boolell, forensic pathologist, the victim died between midnight and two a.m.
For his part, Me Gavin Glover, lawyer for Bernard Maigrot, argued that the prosecution was unable to demonstrate the motive for this murder.
The lawyer added that his client loved the victim and asked the jurors to think about this question: “Why would Bernard Maigrot have killed the stylist in such a violent way if he loved her? »
Me Gavin Glover also highlighted the fact that Vanessa Lagesse's German neighbor, who was one of the first individuals to go to the crime scene, was not summoned as a witness in this case. Ditto for Elizabeth Henesch, the last person to have met Vanessa Lagesse on the evening of March 9, 2001.
Judge Luchmyparsad Aujayeb will do his summing up this Thursday. After which the jurors will deliberate to announce their verdict.
Remember that Bernard Maigrot pleaded not guilty to the murder of Vanessa Lagesse. The stylist's body was discovered in her bathtub on March 9, 2001. Injuries were also found on her body.
