A young driver accused in the hit-and-run death of a teenaged girl has been denied bail.
Robert Belanger, 22, was arrested and charged after he allegedly ran down 15-year-old Ronia Mansourian in Laval's Chomedey district on Sept. 4. Laval police say Belanger was driving with a suspended licence at the time of the fatal accident.
The day-long bail hearing at the Laval courthouse was charged with emotion, with friends and family members of both the Belanger and Mansourian filling the courtroom.
"He doesn't deserve another chance -- he had a lot of chances," said Tamar Kupuyan, a friend of Mansourian.
Belanger kept his head down, as police investigator Sylvain Lemire detailed the circumstances of the tragedy, and spoke at length about Belanger's past.
His mother and grandmother took the stand to offer bail guarantees, but prosecutor Jean-Pascal Boucher argued Belanger was too dangerous to be freed pending his trial.
The judge agreed, and ordered the Belanger to be detained until he goes to trial – which could take months, or possibly even years.
For the first time since the accident, some of Mansourian's relatives smiled while speaking to reporters after the proceedings.
"We are very happy with the judge's decision," said Marie Tatazian, Mansourian's aunt.
"We have the confidence justice still exists."
