The mother of a 13-year-old charged with fatally shooting his older brother in January was in tears Thursday when a judge ordered that the boy stay detained until his trial.
Youth Court Judge Dominique Wilhelmy said it was unlikely the boy’s mother and grandmother could control the boy if released to their care, since they weren’t able to do so before the shooting.
“The mother finds it impossible that he smokes marijuana or cigarettes or that he shot his brother,” the judge said. “In fact, according to the mother, everyone except the boy is lying.”
The boy is charged with manslaughter and possession of a prohibited weapon in connection with the Jan. 21 shooting of his 16-year-old brother in the mother’s Dorval home. He is also charged with armed robbery in connection with a holdup at a convenience store days before the shooting.
“I heard evidence that he is either an angel or a delinquent,” the judge said. “This is a young man well installed in delinquent activities.”
She said several witnesses testified the boy was using pot and alcohol, driving his mother’s car without her permission and was seen with his grandfather’s gun outside of the home.
Wilhelmy noted the boy was able to hide a gun and bullets in his closet without his mother’s and grandmother’s knowledge.
The boy is being held in a closed facility at Batshaw Family Services. If found guilty, the maximum sentence he could receive is three years.
The case will go straight to trial in the coming months. The lawyers and accused will be back in court June 12 to set a date.