The Dorval teen who killed his older brother in early 2013 was in court Wednesday for the beginning of sentencing arguments.
The 13-year-old pleaded guilty last fall to criminal negligence causing death with a firearm, and has been under house arrest at a relative’s since December.
The Crown is asking the boy be sentenced to 18 months of open custody to be served at a youth detention facility, followed by 18 months of probation.
Defence lawyer Isabel Schurman, however, is proposing a three-month sentence to be served at home. After that period, the court could prolong the sentence if necessary.
Schurman said that the boy’s family offers him love and support, and said it is the best place for him to be so he can move past the incident.
A psychologist on Wednesday told the court that the teenager is on the right track, but that he has problems admitting to his drug use. The psychologist also said it wouldn’t be advisable for the teen to move back in with his mother.
The Crown’s Marie-Claude Bourassa said she would like to see the accused stay in a youth facility to get more hands-on psychological help.
Doctors from the Montreal Children’s Hospital will assess the teenaged boy next week. The court will also watch the video recording of the teenager’s interview with police.
The teenager, who cannot be named because of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was 12 at the time of his arrest.
Sentencing arguments are expected to wrap up Thursday.