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Quebecois shooter guilty

The man charged in the 2012 shooting death of a man outside a club where the sovereigntist Parti Quebecois was celebrating its election victory sat impassively Tuesday as he was convicted of second-degree murder.

Richard Henry Bain, who shouted out "The English Are Waking Up" as he was arrested four years ago, was also found guilty of three counts of attempted murder.

In convicting Bain after 11 full days of deliberations, the 12 jurors rejected the defence's argument he was not criminally responsible by way of mental disorder.

Bain, 65, was facing a charge of first-degree murder in the death of lighting technician Denis Blanchette outside the Metropolis as then-Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois was delivering her victory speech Sept. 4, 2012.

Instead, the jurors found him guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. One of the attempted-murder convictions was in connection with Dave Courage, another stagehand who was struck by the bullet that killed Blanchette.

The two other convictions related to provincial police officer Stephane Champagne and a dozen fellow stagehands who were nearby when the weapon was fired.

Bain, dressed in a black suit, showed no reaction in the prisoner's box and stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read out.

His lawyer said although the outcome was not a victory, his client was satisfied the jury rejected the possibility of finding him guilty of premeditated murder.

"He (Bain) is very happy because had he been convicted of first-degree murder at his age, it would have been a death sentence," Alan Guttman told reporters after speaking briefly to Bain.

Bain faces a sentence of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for at least 10 years on the second-degree murder conviction. Guttman said that is what he will seek at sentencing arguments scheduled for early September.

He also said he will consider whether to appeal the convictions.

Crown prosecutor Dennis Galiatsatos said he hopes the victims will be satisfied with the jury's decision.

"I hope the verdicts will provide them with at least some measure of closure to help them get through this chapter in their lives," he said.

Galiatsatos would not specify the sentence he would seek for the conviction, which stipulates Bain can be denied parole eligibility for up to 25 years.



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