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Accused in Montreal store clerk’s slaying mounting mental disorder defence

Sep 21, 2017 | 8:00 AM

MONTREAL — A man on trial for first-degree murder in the slaying of a young female supermarket clerk told jurors Thursday he killed her because he was convinced she was waiting to shoot him and other clients in the store.

“I defended myself and I defended the other clients,” Randy Tshilumba said during the first day of his testimony. “She wanted to kill me and other clients.”

Clemence Beaulieu-Patry, 20, was stabbed 14 times on April 10, 2016, inside a busy grocery store where she worked.

Tshilumba has pleaded not guilty.

The Crown has said Tshilumba was angered after the victim refused to go out with him less than a week before the slaying.

Tshilumba’s lawyer, Philippe Larochelle, told the jury he would mount a mental disorder defence.

In his opening statement, he said he would bring jurors inside the mind of the accused. He said Tshilumba doesn’t believe he did anything wrong the night of the slaying.

“His psychological problems existed before the murder,” Larochelle said. “Mental illness is not always visible.”

Tshilumba said he became convinced the victim and her friends wanted to do him harm after he read postings on a website dedicated to people commenting on things in the community that irritate them.

He told the jury he didn’t remember specific internet messages, but thought they were directed at him and written by Beaulieu-Patry and her friends because they resembled posts on their Facebook pages.

Tshilumba told the jury he went to the Maxi supermarket the night of the murder in order to convince Beaulieu-Patry not to kill him and that he wanted to “make peace” with the victim.

He told the jury Beaulieu-Patry and five of her high school friends had wanted to hurt him since 2014.

When he saw Beaulieu-Patry the night of the slaying, he was certain she was about to pull out a gun and shoot him.

“I knew she was about to take a gun out of her pocket,” he said.

Tshilumba added he saw a black car at the entrance of the grocery store, which led him to believe her friends were inside it waiting for him.

Tshilumba is expected to continue his testimony Friday.

He will be followed on the witness stand by members of his family and two psychiatrists.

The Canadian Press