In the Sherbrooke trial of Kevin Sanders accused of the unprovoked murder of Joël Mailhot in August 2020 inside the Urban Tavern, the prosecution finished its testimony this morning with the forensic testimony of Caroline Tanguay.
The pathologist who carried out the autopsy of Joël Mailhot came to list the many injuries suffered by the victim. The essence of his testimony can be summed up as follows: he suffered an incalculable number of facial fractures and head injuries.
Joël Mailhot died of blunt force trauma to the head as a result of eighteen punches and four kicks inflicted on him by defendant Kevin Sanders, who were seen in images from the Urban Tavern after the attack.
There are six known impact zones;
– in the plane of the forehead, eye and cheek on the right side
– to the left forehead, eye and molars
– To the mouth
All the bones of the 51-year-old victim’s facial bones were broken at the base of his skull, testified Dr. Caroline Tanguay.
the path of darkness
Kevin Sanders has been the subject of six different assessments since December 2010.
The 28-year-old man stayed three times at the Philippe-Pinel Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, including once in the spring of 2022, in order to be treated.
Earlier this month, the question of fitness arose.
His lawyers said it would be difficult, if not impossible, to reason with him in his defense.
In the last psychiatric report given on March 13, the psychiatrist Kim Bédard-Charette suggests that “states of voluntary and selective silence appear because the Lord chooses the interlocutors to whom he speaks.”
“He knows the charges against him” […] and he can recognize its gravity and grasp its consequences. »
In court today, Kevin Sanders was wearing a sleeveless blue prison tank top.
Judge Charles Ouellet, who is presiding over the trial, asked the six men and five women jurors not to make any assumptions about her clothing.
Before the Judges, the 28-year-old defendant remained completely silent, refusing to answer the judge if he would offer a defense.
– The cases of indictment are to be made to-morrow, the jurors will then have to retire at the time of their deliberations.
