MONTREAL -- A man charged with committing two murders in Montreal -- both carried out with an axe, according to the prosecution -- wants to plead guilty.

Claude Charbonneau, 61, is accused of killing his landlord, 80-year-old Theodros Debeyiotis, and superintendant Pierre Phaneuf in early August. He is facing two counts of first-degree murder.

At a court appearance on Thursday, Charbonneau, who spent most of his adult life in prison, said he wants to plead guilty immediately even though the law prevents him from doing so before the formal opening of his trial.

Charbonneau returns to court on Oct. 30.