Nathaniel Albert, who was arrested in December 2020 following the violent death of his spouse in the apartment they shared on Havre des Îles Ave. in western Laval, was sentenced earlier this week to more than 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a manslaughter charge.
According to media reports, Albert, age 60, was under a court order to stay away from his spouse, 74-year-old Françoise Côté, who had been his partner for 20 years.
He was originally charged with second-degree murder in conjunction with the acts which took place on Dec. 4 2020.
Côté was found lying on the floor lifeless, with various indications on her body that she had been subjected to violence.
At the Laval courthouse earlier this week, Superior Court Justice François Dadour expressed concerns over whether the punishment fit the crime, given the extent of Côté’s injuries and the fact cout testimony indicated she had been abused over a long period.
He said the case fit within a range where previous offenders received sentences of 12 years or more, although “evidentiary weaknesses” were a factor in his decision to accept a recommendation from defence and prosecution lawyers for a sentence of 10 years and eight months.
Along with his guilty plea to manslaughter, Albert acknowledged causing Côté’s injuries. A forensic pathologist’s report documented several traumatic injuries caused by blunt force, including fractured ribs, and injuries to the head, neck, abdomen, back and limbs.
