BIKER NEWS: Former biker Stéphane (Godasse) Gagné, who killed two prison guards, wants early parole
BIKER NEWS -- A man who took part in the murders of two prison guards 18 years ago on orders from then Hells Angels leader Maurice (Mom) Boucher, in an attempt to intimidate Quebec’s justice system, will ask a jury to give him a chance at early parole this week.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday at the Montreal courthouse in a case where Stéphane (Godasse) Gagné, 45, will attempt to prove he is no longer the desperate drug dealer from Hochelaga Maisonneuve who, in the late 1990s, was willing to do anything to become a member of Boucher’s elite Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels. As part of his argument, the jury will undoubtedly be told of how Gagné later became a collaborating witness against Boucher and helped convict the once powerful biker who is now serving a life sentence for the murders of Diane Lavigne, Pierre Rondeau and the attempted murder of Robert Corriveau.
All three were guards at provincial detention centres and, as was later proven in court, Boucher had no personal grudge against either victim. He ordered the deaths of guards in general to send a message to Quebec’s provincial justice system after it had focused much of its resources on him and his gang. The guards were shot in 1997, a time when it was clear Boucher and the other members of the chapter he created were the decision-makers in the Hells Angels’ war with rival gangs across the province. The conflict stretched between 1994 and 2002 and resulted in the deaths of more than 160 people, including several innocent victims.
Gagné killed Lavigne, on June 26, 1997, by shooting her, from the back of a motorcycle, as she drove home from her job at the Montreal Detention Centre. The driver of the motorcycle, André (Toots) Tousignant, was murdered months after Lavigne was killed.
On Sept. 8, 1997, Gagné and a different partner, Paul (Fon Fon) Fontaine, killed Rondeau and wounded Corriveau by firing several shots into the bus the guards were riding in as they headed to the Rivière des Prairies Detention Centre. The guards were about to pick up detainees who had court dates that day.
Gagné was arrested on Dec. 5, 1997, and, after deciding to become a witness for the prosecution, he pleaded guilty, on March 25, 1998, to murdering Lavigne and the attempted murder of Corriveau. He is currently serving a life sentence and is eligible for full parole in 2023. The hearing scheduled for this week is to determine if Gagné’s parole eligibility date can be reduced. The hearing will be presided over by Superior Court Justice Jerry Zigman.
Boucher is reportedly no longer a member of the Hells Angels. Also, the Nomads chapter he created was dissolved after almost every member was arrested and convicted in Operation Springtime 2001. Gagné’s work as a collaborating witness helped convict people arrested in that investigation as well. In 2009, his testimony helped convict Fontaine of first-degree murder after the biker had managed to live on the lam for seven years while he tried to avoid arrest.
When Gagné originally filed his request for early parole in 2012 he asked that he be eligible for parole after having served 15 years of his sentence. He reached that date in 2013 but the jury will likely also have the option of determining on their own which year, between the present and 2023, would be more appropriate.
As part of his original request, Gagné wrote: “Correctional Service Canada has allowed me to change considerably and to understand my delinquent ways, the way to improve my behaviour through awareness.”
“I can assert that I am no longer a violent person and I no longer represent a danger to society.”
The jury’s decision will only determine when Gagné would be eligible for parole. The decision on whether he qualifies for a release would be left to the Parole Board of Canada.
This article was first published on November 8, 2015
Get a copy of montrealgazette.com or go to montrealgazette.com for more stories.
This article was first published on November 8, 2015
Get a copy of montrealgazette.com or go to montrealgazette.com for more stories.
BIKER NEWS: Former biker Stéphane (Godasse) Gagné, who killed two prison guards, wants early parole
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November 08, 2015
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