CAUTION: This story consists of visuals summaries of intimate companion bodily violence.
After months of misuse, hazards, management and management by her on as soon as extra, off as soon as extra companion, 24-year-old Marie “Mimi” Gabriel was accomplished.
She knowledgeable 40-year-old Jean-Bruno “Berno” Fenelon — 16 years her aged, that started seeing her when she was 17 — to go away the south Ottawa dwelling she had truly left to with their 2 children months beforehand, with help from social options.
But it had not been functioning. She texted the male she was seeing that Fenelon wished to battle her, that he wouldn’t depart.
And she talked together with her closest buddy Norlande Tassy by telephone, that listened to Gabriel’s final acknowledged articulation:
“Get the f–k out of my house!” she shouted. Then completely nothing. Tassy remained on the road, but by no means ever listened to Gabriel’s voice as soon as extra.
It was the early morning of March 26, 2022. Gabriel was found lifeless by authorities on the concrete flooring of her cellar 2 days afterward, in a dried out swimming pool of her very personal blood.
Fenelon positions for Ottawa authorities forensic recognition cops after his apprehension in March 2022. (Ottawa authorities/Ontario Superior Court)
A prolonged day of mulling over
Late Friday night, in a darkish, near-empty court docket home, a court docket of 9 women and three guys found Fenelon responsible of first-degree homicide after a check that prolonged 6 weeks in Ottawa’s Superior Court.
Fenelon was punished by Justice Ian Carter to life behind bars with out parole for 25 years, which happens immediately when an individual is based responsible of homicide within the very first degree in Canada.
The court docket permitted the proof that it was Fenelon that, in an envious craze, struck Gabriel on the very least two instances within the head with a 30-pound pinhead– virtually rapidly lethal strikes offered as she was presently current broken on the flooring.
It adopted Fenelon had truly struck her, dragged her and chased her round her cellar– proof of which was found within the bloody impacts her naked toes left on the concrete.
The strikes with the pinhead have been supplied with “severe force;” the sort sometimes seen in auto wreckages or drops from a terrific elevation, Crown lawyer Dallas Mack claimed in his closing feedback. They have been “clear indicators” of Fenelon’s excessive disgust for Gabriel.
“This was personal,” Mack claimed.
A legislation enforcement officer goes out onto the ice at Petrie Island in March 2022 to get amongst Fenelon’s boots. Police carried out a search after Global Positioning System data on Fenelon’s telephone led them to the situation. (Ottawa authorities/Ontario Superior Court)
Disposed- of proof recuperated by authorities
Afterward, Fenelon discarded his clothes and boots, discolored with Gabriel’s blood, at Petrie Island alongside theOttawa River Homicide personal investigators complied with Global Positioning System breadcrumbs from Fenelon’s telephone to the situation and seemed it for days previous to discovering them.
It was Fenelon that referred to as 911 to report trying to find Gabriel’s physique 2 days after his strike, beneath the appearance that he had truly discovered her physique for the very first time whereas making an attempt to go away their kids.
With its responsible judgment, the court docket denied Toronto- based mostly assist lawyer Ari Goldkind’s assertion in his shutting feedback that the Crown had not confirmed its scenario previous an inexpensive query.
Goldkind had truly stated Fenelon had completely nothing to hide regarding the “toxic, terrible,” nature of his partnership with Gabriel, and that he constantly knowledgeable personal investigators he had completely nothing to do with the legal exercise and wouldn’t eradicate the mommy of his kids.
He moreover claimed it was unlikely that an “Incredible Hulk” like Fenelon can depart a battle entire.
Parents clarify excessive remorse
After the responsible judgment, as Gabriel’s family and friends evaluation their goal impact declarations, a number of within the court docket room wept, consisting of quite a lot of the jurors and homicide investigators Guy Seguin and Jennifer McLinton ( that presently advantages yet another system).
Gabriel’s mommy, Fatou Gabriel, created that her remorse for refraining much more to safe her youngster “kills me every day … pains me to my bones … keeps me up every night.”
She requested her youngster forward dwelling “over and over, but because she was scared of Berno, she refused.”
Her papa, Andy Stone, referred to as Fenelon a “woman-beating coward” that “ripped [Gabriel’s] character to shreds” additionally after killing her. But he moreover defined sensations of remorse.
“How can I even begin to express my regrets for not being the father she deserved? For not acting differently? He hurt my little girl, and I did nothing. I let her down,” he knowledgeable court docket.
After the goal impact declarations, the Crown claimed Gabriel was certified to complete the partnership and depart Fenelon, and referred to as intimate companion bodily violence ‘an afflict on our culture.’ (Supplied by Andy Stone)
‘Senseless cruelty’
Gabriel’s older sibling, David Gabriel, knowledgeable Fenelon that day by day, he checked out him within the detainee’s dock and needed to see “an ounce of remorse.”
“But these past few weeks only confirmed to me that you are a sadistic sociopath, who laughed at my father when he testified. You enjoyed seeing his pain.”
Her younger sibling, Ibn Stone, knowledgeable Fenelon he “tortured” the family.
“You have earned your place behind bars, stripped of freedom, and there is no better fate for someone who acted with such senseless brutality.”
‘It was the appropriate point’
Outside the court docket home, proper earlier than twelve o’clock at night time, the family was eradicated.
“It was the right thing,” Andrew Stone claimed. “Twelve decent people, decent, decent people — they weren’t fooled. They didn’t believe his lies. They didn’t believe it was someone else.”
And he had a message for women and women.
“If you’re with a man and he’s aggressive verbally, bodily, run. Don’t say you’ll forgive him and he received’t do it once more, as a result of he’ll do it once more. Run.
“And moms and dads, pay attention to your youngsters. … Because you do not intend to resemble me. I’m standing below speaking to you currently, my child’s dead. Full out. Dead.”
Support is available for these impacted by intimate companion bodily violence. You can find help options and regional sources in Canada by visiting this website If your circumstance is fast, name 911.
