Marie-Josée Viau did not know that firearms would be stored in the garage of her property and maintains that if she listed them, it was to facilitate the sale of them.
Mme Viau, who is accused with her husband Guy Dion of having plotted and participated in the murders of brothers Vincenzo and Giuseppe Falduto committed on their property in Saint-Jude, on June 30, 2016, began testifying Monday before the jury and Judge Éric Downs of the Superior Court.
At the start of the trial, the Prosecution filed a list of several weapons, some of them very powerful, handwritten by Mr.me Viau found at the couple’s home on the day of their arrest, October 16, 2019.
Questioned by her lawyer, Me Mylène Lareau, Marie-Josée Viau said that in late May or early June 2016, an individual nicknamed Brad Pitt since the start of the trial – because he cannot be identified – and a former mafia hitman – turned mole for the police – came to her house telling her that they were bringing “tools”.
She said she then saw a pile of hockey bags in the back of the garage, not knowing what was in them, and that it was only later, when the two men returned to her house, that she found that they were bustling around the bags on the ground, and that the hitman “searched them very vigorously” and handled firearms.
” The [Brad Pitt] told me that Guy knew about it, that he had given his consent and that he had an agreement with him. The weapons were there temporarily. It was to sell and that’s why Guy had accepted. We were to have money with the sale ”.
Brad Pitt asked me if it was possible to make a listing weapons and ammunition to facilitate the sale. I was rather reluctant at first but the sooner it was done, the faster the sale would go, so yes I accepted.
Marie-Josée Viau
Like a threat
The accused also said she had “no connection” with the encrypted communications device Brad Pitt gave them and that whenever it vibrated, she handed it to Guy.
She also said that contrary to what the hitman said in his testimony, she was not present when he and Brad Pitt came to burn items, including motorcycle helmets, in a barrel on his property. .
She said it was not until the following August that Brad Pitt told her what they had burned, and that she felt threatened when the latter showed her a photo of his garage floor and a photo of Guy Dion in his company and that of other men.
“I didn’t ask him any questions. Already after June 30 [jour des meurtres des Falduto] I was apprehensive. I said to myself : The less you know, the better off you are. This is not what we asked for. I didn’t think we were so stuck in the gear ”.
“By showing me the photos, he [Brad Pitt] didn’t need to tell me anything. I had enormous pressure. I felt bad. I tried not to overreact to show that I was stressed out, but felt that like a threat. I asked myself a lot of questions, among others: Is our life in danger ? », Explained Marie-Josée Viau.
The trial is suspended for the rest of the week and his questioning will continue next Monday.
Contradictions
Earlier today, Prosecutor Me Isabelle Poulin has completed the cross-examination of Guy Dion.
In particular, she compared statements made by the accused on the recordings made without his knowledge during the summer of 2019, when he had said that Marie-Josée “cleaned up the tuesday left [par les tueurs] to burn his nasal passages ”, he said during his testimony last week, that is to say that he had seen his wife arrive with a single liter of bleach to cleanse bloodstains in the car of the victims.
On at least two occasions, Guy Dion admitted to having lied to the hitman turned mole for the police when he was recording him without his knowledge.
To reach Daniel Renaud, dial 514 285-7000, extension 4918, write to drenaud@lapresse.ca or write to the postal address of Press.