No verdict on Day 3 of deliberations in Quebec 2012 election shooting trial

MONTREAL – Jurors at Richard Henry Bain’s first-degree murder trial will deliberate for a fourth day after failing to reach a verdict Monday.

Aside from a few minor issues, Day 3 went by without word from jurors, who will get back to work Tuesday morning.

Earlier on Monday, Superior Court Justice Guy Cournoyer and the lawyers had to deal with the issue of a protester standing outside the Montreal courthouse.

Constables guarding the jurors told the court a man wearing a Quebec flag and carrying a French sign reading “R.H. Bain Guilty” was within view as they arrived for deliberations.

Cournoyer and lawyers elected to not address the issue and decided to trust the jurors would not be swayed by outside influences.

Bain, 65, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of stagehand Denis Blanchette, as well as three counts of attempted murder.

The charges are connected with events outside the Metropolis nightclub in September 2012 as then-premier designate Pauline Marois was inside celebrating the Parti Quebecois’ election win.

Bain’s lawyer has argued he was mentally ill at the time and should be found not criminally responsible.

But the Crown has argued Bain was of sound mind and that the shooting was premeditated and triggered by his anger over the PQ election victory.

The jury’s first task is to assess Bain’s mental state the night of the shooting on Sept. 4, 2012.

Also on Monday, Cournoyer denied a juror’s request to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

The juror told Cournoyer not being able to attend AA wouldn’t affect his work.

The jury of seven women and five men has asked the court three questions since deliberations began Saturday.