The man who went on a deadly rampage at Metropolis Theatre on the night of the 2012 election has lost an appeal to reduce his prison sentence.
Richard Henry Bain was found guilty in 2016 for the shooting death of stagehand Denis Blanchette at Parti Quebecois headquarters, just after the party was elected to a minority government.
His plan at the time was to attack people celebrating the PQ’s victory. He was found guilty of second-degree murder, and also found guilty of three counts of attempted murder.
Bain appealed his sentence in October, where in an unusual move a panel of five judges heard the defence’s arguments for a sentence reduction. This happens when a case is determined to be of high importance.
On Wednesday, the court refused Bain’s appeal to reduce his sentence of life in prison with 20 years before he is eligible for parole.
Bain’s lawyer argued during the sentencing hearing that the sentence is excessive for an elderly man who continues to suffer from mental health problems.
He argued that Bain should have received 10 years before parole eligibility, comparing his case to the 1984 shooting inside the National Assembly, perpetrated by Denis Lortie.
Crown prosecutor Maude Payette, on the other hand, argued to have Bain’s sentence increased.
"The reason we're asking for the maximum sentence is because we consider that Richard Henry Bain committed one of the worst crimes in the history of this country," she said at the time.
