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The preliminary inquiry in the case against Steeve Gagnon, the man who is alleged to have deliberately struck a dozen pedestrians with his van in Amqui on March 13, began Monday morning at the Amqui courthouse.
The 39-year-old man faces three counts of first-degree murder and nine counts of attempted murder using a motor vehicle. He also faces charges of dangerous driving causing death.
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Gérald Charest, aged 65, Jean Lafrenière, aged 73, and Simon-Guillaume Bourget, aged 41, lost their lives in the tragedy that shocked the small town with a population of 6,300.
Gagnon was arrested after the tragic events and has been detained since then.
Some of the first people called to the stand on Monday were witnesses to the what happened, but their testimony was placed a publication ban, which is standard at this stage of the proceedings.
The defendant was calm while listening to the witnesses and turned around a few times to look out the window behind him.
The preliminary inquiry is presided over by Judge Annick Boivin and aims to determine whether there is enough evidence to go to trial on all of the charges Gagnon faces.
Gagnon is represented by defence lawyer Hugo Caissy while the Crown is represented by prosecutors Simon Blanchette and Jérôme Simard.
The first-degree murder charges put Gagnon at risk of life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.
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