24-year-old Quebec man pleads guilty to killing 18-year-old ex-girlfriend

A Quebec man accused of ambushing and killing his ex-girlfriend pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder and will serve an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 18 years.

Daphne Huard-Boudreault, 18, was stabbed to death on March 22, 2017, after she walked into the apartment she shared with the accused, Anthony Pratte-Lops, in Mont-St-Hilaire, about 45 kilometres southeast of Montreal.

Pratte-Lops, 24, was arrested that day and accused of first-degree murder. According to witnesses, the killer refused to accept the fact Huard-Boudreault had broken up with him.

The young woman had entered the home they shared to pick up her personal items when he allegedly ambushed her and stabbed her.

Pratte-Lops’ first-degree murder trial was scheduled to begin Monday. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Thursday in a courtroom in St-Hyacinthe, Que.

His guilty plea triggered an automatic life sentence. Quebec Superior Court Justice Pierre Labrie ruled Thursday the 24-year-old killer would have to serve at least 18 years in prison before being eligible for parole.