Lawrence Pigeon, the man facing 38 criminal charges, including 12 counts of robbery, in connection with a series of assaults against gay men wants to enter into a plea agreement with the crown.
The charges are in relation to 10 separate incidents dating back to May of last year.
The crown is considering agreeing to a plea but will still be asking for the same sentence as at trial. The case is currently in a pre-trial stage where the crown and the defense have an opportunity to go over evidence before going to trial.
As previously reported in Capital Xtra, the accused met his victims through Cruiseline. He would arrive at the victim’s home and demand money. If the victim refused, he was verbally threatened and, in some cases, physically assaulted.
The crown is considering the plea so victims can avoid having to go through the trauma of a trial.
If the crown agrees to a plea, the Police Liaison Committee will ask if it can submit a victim impact statement on behalf of the community. Committee chair Cynthia Cousens says for almost a year the gay community didn’t know what they were dealing with and feels it’s important the judge understands how an entire community can be affected by this type of crime.
“I think that the individuals who were victims would find it difficult to re-live their encounters, as well some could very well be concerned about being outed,” says Cousens.
“If the investigating officers involved are willing to take an impact statement on behalf of the community and hand it to the crown, it would result in a process that has never been done before.”
Meanwhile the man charged in connection with the murder of Chris Raynsford is expectedto appear in court for show cause within a few weeks, at which time a preliminary hearing date may be set.
Sebastian Roy, 24, is facing first-degree murder charges in connection with Raynsford’s death. Defense and Crown attorneys are now in a pre-trial stage going over evidence.
Lead investigator Detective Gerry Kinnear says he is satisfied with the strength of the investigation. He says there are just a few small details that have to be worked out.
Raynsford’s body was found in his Lisgar Street apartment on Dec 4. He had been missing for several days.
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