Crown opens case against Quebec man accused of kidnapping N.Y. couple

The Quebec man accused of kidnapping a couple in their 70s from New York state was back in court Tuesday for the start of his trial.

The seniors were taken from their home in the small town of Moira, N.Y., near the Canadian border, in September 2020 and found in Magog, in the Eastern Townships. 

Gary Arnold, from Hinchinbrooke, Que., is charged with seven offences, including kidnapping, illegal detention, extortion and conspiracy.

He is accused of storming the couple's home and forcing 76-year-old James Helm and his wife, Sandra, Helm, 70, into a vehicle.

According to the prosecution, Arnold brought them into Canada through Akwesasne, the Mohawk Nation territory that straddles the Canada-U.S. border.

They were then taken by boat to Valleyfield, Que., where two men, 57-year-old Franco D’Onofrio and Kosmas Dristas, 51, waited for them.

In her opening statement, Crown prosecutor Kim Chaiken said that Arnold coordinated the overnight transportation of the two hostages to a cottage in Magog, where more accomplices were waiting.

Arnold, the jury heard, allegedly picked up a catheter for Sandra Helm.

In her opening statement, the prosecutor said that while many people were involved in the plot, it was Arnold who spearheaded the operation.

Back in New York state, the couple’s son, Michael Helm, figured something was wrong. He soon started getting calls from the kidnappers, who demanded cocaine, or the money from the drugs, from the couple’s grandson.

The Sûreté du Québec's tactical team was able to find the couple in Magog using tracking devices and wiretaps on telephones.

Three people were arrested on site and the Helms were released without injuries.

The Crown insisted to the jury that the couple had absolutely nothing to do with their grandson's activities.

The trial is being held in front of an English-speaking jury and is expected to last more than two months.

The Crown says it plans to call 14 witnesses, including the kidnap victims, and introduce surveillance tapes and wiretaps to make its case.