Anger, incomprehension and serious concern among the forty residents of a complex for independent pensioners this Tuesday, who find absolutely inconceivable this decision of the court that released a few days ago the 83-year-old Bernard Devoe, accused of second-degree murder of his spouse.
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The octogenarian suspected murderer is back home in the same place where his ex-wife Melbita Devoe, 51, from the Philippines, was allegedly killed on June 11th.
“This is not a temporary prison,” says a resident who lives in the same building as the defendant. It’s not RPA, it’s not CHSLD. The gentleman is limited in his mobility. He violated clauses in the lease and the 44 of us are the ones who are suffering the consequences,” she continues.
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“I was paralyzed,” another woman said. When I first saw him come in I couldn’t believe it. I said to myself: “That’s not possible!”
In particular, Mr Devoe’s release conditions require him to remain at home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He also had to hire, at his own expense, a security guard to monitor him six hours a day to ensure that his conditions of release were respected and who followed him when he went to the hospital or to his lawyer, for example.
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Despite a security van parked outside the building, residents remain concerned and others are fearful of Mr Devoe’s presence.
“I couldn’t imagine that this gentleman would return to the scene with police and security guards,” another neighbor said.
“One of her friends knew her well, she was also Filipino, and she told me that things weren’t going well,” admits a final person. I’ve often asked myself the question, “Why hasn’t anyone done anything?”
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In addition, the victim’s relatives and work colleagues said they received confidential information from Ms. Devoe. The latter claimed that he was in a toxic relationship, that the defendant was a possessive and jealous man, that he was even harsh towards her and that the couple as a whole had problems.
The residents undertake to write to the SQ, the head of criminal and law enforcement, to persuade the judge to reverse her decision to send him back to prison or transfer him to another location.
Note that the Crown attorney in the case opposed Bernard Devoe’s release.
The defendant’s advanced age and state of health favored his release under strict conditions.
***In collaboration with Yves Poirier***