By Canadian Press

Defence begins in case of Quebec man charged with killing ailing wife

Jan 31, 2019 | 1:32 PM

MONTREAL — A Quebec woman who was killed by her husband as she suffered from advanced Alzheimer’s had told family she didn’t want to end up like their mother, who also had the disease, a trial has heard.

Johanne Lizotte took the stand today in defence of Michel Cadotte, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of her sister, Jocelyne Lizotte.

Jocelyne Lizotte was 60 and in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease that had left her unable to care for herself and detached from reality. She was found dead in her bed at a Montreal long-term care facility in 2017.

The trial has heard that a year earlier Cadotte sought a medically assisted death for his wife of 19 years and was told by centre staff she didn’t qualify.

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Johanne Lizotte told jurors their mother had Alzheimer’s and died in 2005. She said her sister confided in her on numerous occasions that she didn’t want to end up in the same state.

She was one of a handful of witnesses to take the stand as Cadotte’s lawyers began mounting a defence that will include testimony from the accused.

Lawyer Nicolas Welt told jurors in an opening statement the defence won’t dispute that Cadotte ended his wife’s life. It will argue that he cannot be held responsible for the killing because of his state of mind at the time.

“Why did all this happen?” Welt asked. “Mr. Cadotte will explain how he lived with this from within.”

The Canadian Press