SAINT-JEROME, Que. — Lawyers for accused murderer Guy Turcotte will argue he should be found not criminally responsible in the stabbing deaths of his two young children.
Turcotte has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder but has admitted to causing the 2009 deaths of Olivier, 5, and Anne-Sophie, 3.
Lawyer Pierre Poupart told the 11 jurors at Turcotte's first-degree murder trial on Monday he will call witnesses as well as experts — "doctors specialized in the examination of what goes on in the brain."
He also reminded them they will need to reach a verdict based on the evidence and not on their emotions.
"Condemning a person who is not criminally responsible would shake the legal foundations and strike a blow to the integrity of the judicial system," Poupart said.
"It would be horrible to be condemned for acts that are not the acts of a person of sound mind."
He warned jurors there are still things to see that are painful and that nobody, even Turcotte himself, can be insensitive to the facts of the case.
The defence lawyer also asked the jurors to not forget that "the children who were victims of this tragedy were also his children."
The Crown wrapped up its case last week after calling 29 witnesses.
