The lawyers for the Montreal North man accused of killing his wife who was in the late stages of Alzheimer's in 2017 has suggested to the jury that the accused be found guilty of manslaughter and not second degree murder.
Closing arguments began this morning at the trial of 57-year-old Michel Cadotte.
The defence said that the actions of Cadotte are not being contested, with the accused admitting that he smothered his wife, Jocelyne Lizotte minutes afterwards on February 20, 2017.
Defence attorney Elfriede Duclervil told the eight man, four woman jury that what they want them to keep in mind is Cadotte's state of mind between 2008 - when Lizotte, 60, first started showing the first signs of Alzheimer's - and 2017.
Duclervil argued that Cadotte's mental state was so weakened after nine years of pain and suffering by both Cadotte and Lizotte that he was unable to formulate a specific intent to commit murder.
Duclervil said Cadotte no longer wanted Lizotte to suffer and that his actions were the result of many combined factors, including Cadotte suffering from major depression and extreme fatigue and exhaustion while caring for his ailing wife.
The defence also outlined several so-called stressors that they say caused Cadotte to crack, such as the reduced care his wife was receiving at the long term care home and his own health problems.
Cadotte's trial began January 17 before Quebec Superior Court Justice Hélène Di Salvo.
Duclervil and Nicholas Welt are defending Cadotte. The crown is represented by Geneviève Langlois and Antonio Parapuf.