Defence says man had no choice but to shoot hunters in Alberta roadside confrontation
EDMONTON — An Alberta man accused of killing two Métis hunters had no selection however to shoot the lads to guard himself, his father and youthful brother, his lawyer instructed a jury throughout his opening assertion.
Anthony Bilodeau, 33, and his father, Roger Bilodeau, 58, face two counts every of second-degree homicide. They’ve each pleaded not responsible.
The 2 had been charged after Jacob Sansom, 39, and his uncle Maurice Cardinal, 57, had been discovered lifeless in conjunction with a rural street close to Glendon, Alta., about 215 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, on March 28, 2020.
Sansom was shot as soon as within the chest and Cardinal was hit 3 times in his shoulder.
“There was most likely an angel wanting down on him,” Brian Beresh mentioned Tuesday of his consumer, Anthony Bilodeau.
“And it takes the type of the CNRL video,” he added, referring to safety video footage from a gasoline station that reveals the confrontation between the 2 sides the evening earlier than the our bodies had been discovered.
Beresh mentioned Anthony Bilodeau obtained a name from his father and youthful brother, Joseph Bilodeau, saying they had been following a pickup truck that had stopped on the driveway of their property earlier than rushing off.
Joseph Bilodeau, who’s now 18 and was not charged within the case, testified final week that he had additionally seen a truck on his mother and father’ farm earlier within the day and suspected the one they had been following had one thing to do with it.
Beresh mentioned Anthony Bilodeau, who lived close by, was requested to deliver a gun for defense and meet up with his father and brother. He was nonetheless on the telephone with them a short while later when the truck along with his father and brother and the opposite truck stopped on the aspect of street.
A person from the opposite truck punched within the passenger window of Roger Bilodeau’s Ford F-150 after which tried to drag him out, together with Joseph Bilodeau, Beresh mentioned.
“Issues modified in a short time when throughout the name, he heard the shattering of glass after which his brother Joseph scream, ‘Don’t kill my dad! Don’t harm my dad!” Beresh instructed the jury.
“When he arrived on the scene, to his horror, he may see a person who seemed to be strangling or preventing along with his father, who was nonetheless partially within the truck.”
Joseph Bilodeau has testified that he managed to get himself into the again seat of his father’s truck by the point his brother arrived.
Beresh mentioned one of many first issues Anthony Bilodeau did when he obtained there was to inform the lads to cease preventing.
“Regardless of his try and de-escalate the state of affairs, issues obtained worse,” Beresh mentioned.
The person who had pinned his father down within the truck then charged at Anthony Bilodeau whereas shouting to a different man to seize a gun so they may kill him, Beresh mentioned.
“In that quick time frame, which the video confirms, Anthony had no selection,” his lawyer mentioned. “He responded to guard himself and his father.”
Final week, Crown prosecutors argued that the killings had been on no account justified, because the safety footage additionally reveals Anthony Bilodeau shot Sansom inside 26 seconds of arriving on the scene, then shot Cardinal because the hunter was strolling away.
Joseph Bilodeau additionally testified that he feared for his life throughout the confrontation with the 2 males, however he didn’t have any conversations along with his brother and father about calling police.
Anthony Bilodeau is predicted to take the witness stand Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Might 24, 2022.
Daniela Germano, The Canadian Press
