Charges against 2 men stayed in 2019 homicide

The Crown has dropped charges against Michael Leduc and Robert Theoret related to the 2019 death of 55-year-old Gaetan Jolin.

Both men had been charged with second-degree murder, but charges were dropped in late June after a key witness admitted to lying to police and no longer being able to distinguish the truth about the events during cross-examination.

The witness said they were in "survival mode" due to drug addiction and mental health issues and saw the offer of the witness protection program as a means to security.

In a statement, Leduc's lawyer Solomon Friedman said the Crown did the right thing to avoid a wrongful conviction and Leduc is looking forward to rebuilding his life after two years in custody.

Theoret's lawyer did not respond to a request from CBC News.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General said discontinuing a prosecution is one of the most difficult decisions a Crown has to make, but they are duty-bound to constantly re-evaluate the viability of a case.

The statement went on to say after careful consideration, the Crown in this case concluded there was no reasonable prospect of conviction and accordingly the charges were stayed.

Ottawa police said they were reviewing the court's decision.