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An 81-year-old man admitted in court Wednesday that he killed his 79-year-old wife last year at a Terrebonne nursing home.

Gilles Brassard pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder in the death of Thérèse Brassard-Lévesque.

During a hearing at the Laval court, prosecutor Geneviève Aumond told Superior Court Judge Hélène Di Salvo that Brassard tried to strangle his wife with a cord four times while she was lying in her bed in the retirement room. on September 30, 2023, before him. end her life on the fifth attempt. Aumond said Brassard-Lévesque suffered from Alzheimer’s and resisted her husband’s attempts to kill her.

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Before making the third attempt, the prosecutor said, Brassard told his wife, “Close your eyes and sleep.”

The prosecutor also said that Brassard tried to take his own life at the nursing home by ingesting large amounts of medication. He was taken to the hospital and eventually recovered. He was out on bail when he entered his plea on Wednesday.

When he was arrested last year, Brassard was charged with first-degree murder, but recently agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder.

Brassard initially hesitated when Di Salvo informed him he would have to serve at least 10 years behind bars before becoming eligible for parole on the automatic life sentence that comes with a second-degree murder conviction.

The judge asked Brassard if he knew the minimum time he would have to serve.

“Not really,” Brassard said, sounding confused. “Isn’t there a possibility that it’s less than 10 years old? Under no circumstances can it be less than 10 years?”

“No, that’s what the law requires,” the judge said.

“It’s a super shock,” Brassard said. “I’m not an assassin. I’m not a bad guy.”

Brassard’s lawyer, Elfride Duclervil, asked for a break to explain again what her client should expect as a sentence. When the hearing resumed, Brassard confirmed to the court that he understood what was at stake.

Di Salvo is expected to hear from both attorneys about a possible sentence later Wednesday.

This article will be updated.

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