A Quebec Court judge sentenced a Laval man to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of a 32-year-old Montreal resident outside a Terrebonne strip club in March 2024.
Sébastien Leduc, who will turn 28 this week, entered the plea as part of a joint recommendation from the Crown and defence. The sentence was imposed Monday in Laval. With credit for time already served, the judge said Leduc has two years and four months left to serve.
Court account of the night
The death occurred in the early hours of March 22, 2024, following an altercation at the O’Gascon Gentlemen Club in Terrebonne. According to a joint statement of facts read into the record by lawyers for both sides, Leduc was involved in an argument inside the establishment with a group of about 10 men. Surveillance camera footage captured exchanges between Leduc and the victim, identified in court documents as Jessy Furtado‑Bénard.
The argument continued outside. The joint statement — read by counsel and entered as evidence — says Leduc had a kitchen knife with him during the incident. The victim later died from his injuries. Leduc had initially faced a charge of second‑degree murder; the Crown accepted a manslaughter plea.
“Guys fighting in clubs, guys who are intoxicated, they bring us these dramas that we all know about,”
Judge Steve Baribeau used blunt language when addressing the family and the accused in handing down sentence, describing what unfolded as “an incomprehensible drama” and cautioning that the outcome would not restore what was lost.
Sentence and legal context
The judge agreed with the joint recommendation that the appropriate disposition was a seven‑year penitentiary term. He emphasised that while the recommendation appeared fair and reasonable in his view, a custodial sentence remains a severe consequence and “there is nothing joyful in a sentence to be served in a (federal) penitentiary.”
The decision illustrates several aspects of criminal practice:
- Plea negotiations can result in a conviction on a lesser charge than originally laid — in this case, manslaughter instead of second‑degree murder.
- Judges retain discretion to accept joint recommendations but will frame sentences in light of both public interest and the specifics of the offence and offender.
- Time served remains a material factor in the final length of custody required after sentencing.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Victim | Jessy Furtado‑Bénard, 32, Montreal |
| Accused | Sébastien Leduc, 27–28, Laval |
| Location | O’Gascon Gentlemen Club, Terrebonne |
| Charge pleaded to | Manslaughter |
| Sentence | Seven years (two years, four months remaining with time served) |
Family members of the victim attended the hearing and were addressed directly by the judge, who noted that the sentence would not repair the harm done. The Crown and defence counsel jointly proposed the sentence entered by the court.
Broader implications
The case underscores recurring issues that arise in criminal prosecutions stemming from violent incidents in nightlife settings: alcohol, large groups, surveillance evidence and the decision‑making that follows in charging and plea discussions. Judges often reference the social context of such offences when imposing sentence.
Beyond the immediate sentence, the case will proceed through any statutory requirements for parole eligibility and federal corrections processes. The allegations, as set out in the joint statement of facts, have been accepted by the accused through his plea and will now be reflected in his conviction and sentence.
The court record shows the justice system balancing competing considerations: the Crown’s duty to pursue an appropriate charge, the defence’s duty to advance the client’s interests, and a judge’s responsibility to impose a proportionate sentence that considers both community protection and the circumstances of the offence.
No further sentencing details were released at the hearing, and court documents indicate the sentence reflects the agreement reached by both parties at the time of plea.
