André Dallaire
Encyclopedia
André Dallaire is a Canadian
who attempted to assassinate Canadian Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien
in 1995.
Dallaire claimed that he heard voices that led him to break into the 24 Sussex Drive residence
. At trial, Justice Paul Bélanger agreed with the diagnosis, and found Dallaire was guilty of attempted murder
, but not criminally responsible.
, Quebec
. He was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic at sixteen years of age. Dallaire had quit his job at a Montreal
convenience store
on October 25, 1995, taking all the money out of the cash register
and walking off mid-shift.
On October 30, his sister reported receiving a letter from him that had been postmark
ed in Ottawa
.
alternately described as three or five inches in length.
He then climbed the fence and strode over to the house, where he smashed a glass door and entered, wandering around the basement and ground floor for 30 minutes before heading to the Chrétiens' bedroom where he was confronted by Chrétien's wife, Aline
as he was pulling on his gloves.
Aline hurried back into the bedroom and locked the door, rousing Chrétien who initially dismissed her story as "just a dream", while she dialed the RCMP officers stationed outside the house.
Stories diverged whether Jean or Aline Chrétien brandished an Inuit
stone sculpture
of a loon
in case Dallaire broke through the door.
Dallaire did not attempt to break down the door, and waited for the police to arrive. Controversially, it took seven minutes for the police to respond to Aline's desperate call about an intruder trying to kill the Prime Minister, in part because the first officer to respond had forgotten his key to the residence, because the officers had decided to surround the house to prevent escape before entering it to ensure the Prime Minister's safety, and because the officer who answered the frantic telephone call first called his supervisor at the nearby Rideau Hall
to ask what he should do.
for the duration of the trial. Expert witness Dominique Bourget, a psychiatrist with the Royal Ottawa Hospital, testified that Dallaire viewed himself as a "secret agent" avenging the loss of sovereigntist forces
in the 1995 Quebec referendum
, and that he believed killing the Prime Minister would cause him to "become a hero for the nation".
His travel during the trial was not restricted, so long as he was accompanied at all times by a worker from the group home. He was formally charged with attempted murder, breaking and entering, possession of a weapon and being unlawfully in a dwelling. His defence counsel was John Hale.
The trial also brought to light the security camera footage of Dallaire freely roaming the property, while RCMP officers should have been monitoring the cameras. Ultimately, four officers were suspended for several months, while three supervisors were re-assigned.
Also in 1998, an intoxicated man was found on the grounds of the Prime Minister's residence, raising questions about the security upgrade undertaken since Dallaire's intrusion.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
who attempted to assassinate Canadian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
in 1995.
Dallaire claimed that he heard voices that led him to break into the 24 Sussex Drive residence
24 Sussex Drive
24 Sussex Drive is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Canada, located in the New Edinburgh neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario. Built between 1866 and 1868 by Joseph Merrill Currier, it has been the official home of the Canadian prime minister since 1951.-History:The house at 24 Sussex...
. At trial, Justice Paul Bélanger agreed with the diagnosis, and found Dallaire was guilty of attempted murder
Attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
, but not criminally responsible.
Biography
Born in LongueuilLongueuil, Quebec
Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city in...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic at sixteen years of age. Dallaire had quit his job at a Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
on October 25, 1995, taking all the money out of the cash register
Cash register
A cash register or till is a mechanical or electronic device for calculating and recording sales transactions, and an attached cash drawer for storing cash...
and walking off mid-shift.
On October 30, his sister reported receiving a letter from him that had been postmark
Postmark
thumb|USS TexasA postmark is a postal marking made on a letter, package, postcard or the like indicating the date and time that the item was delivered into the care of the postal service...
ed in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.
The break-in
At 02:10 UTC−5 on November 5, Dallaire arrived outside 24 Sussex Drive and spent the next 20 minutes throwing stones onto the grounds and waving at security cameras while carrying a Pocket knifePocket knife
A pocket knife is a folding knife with one or more blades that fit inside the handle that can still fit in a pocket. It is also known as a jackknife or jack-knife...
alternately described as three or five inches in length.
He then climbed the fence and strode over to the house, where he smashed a glass door and entered, wandering around the basement and ground floor for 30 minutes before heading to the Chrétiens' bedroom where he was confronted by Chrétien's wife, Aline
Aline Chrétien
Aline Chrétien is the wife of Canada's twentieth Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien.Born Aline Chaîné in Saint-Boniface-de-Shawinigan, Quebec, she married lawyer Jean Chrétien on September 10, 1957...
as he was pulling on his gloves.
Aline hurried back into the bedroom and locked the door, rousing Chrétien who initially dismissed her story as "just a dream", while she dialed the RCMP officers stationed outside the house.
Stories diverged whether Jean or Aline Chrétien brandished an Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
stone sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
of a loon
Loon
The loons or divers are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia...
in case Dallaire broke through the door.
Dallaire did not attempt to break down the door, and waited for the police to arrive. Controversially, it took seven minutes for the police to respond to Aline's desperate call about an intruder trying to kill the Prime Minister, in part because the first officer to respond had forgotten his key to the residence, because the officers had decided to surround the house to prevent escape before entering it to ensure the Prime Minister's safety, and because the officer who answered the frantic telephone call first called his supervisor at the nearby Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
to ask what he should do.
Legal events
Dallaire was kept in a group homeGroup home
A group home is a private residence designed or converted to serve as a non-secure home for unrelated persons who share a common characteristic.-Types of group homes:...
for the duration of the trial. Expert witness Dominique Bourget, a psychiatrist with the Royal Ottawa Hospital, testified that Dallaire viewed himself as a "secret agent" avenging the loss of sovereigntist forces
Quebec sovereignty movement
The Quebec sovereignty movement refers to both the political movement and the ideology of values, concepts and ideas that promote the secession of the province of Quebec from the rest of Canada...
in the 1995 Quebec referendum
1995 Quebec referendum
The 1995 Quebec referendum was the second referendum to ask voters in the Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should secede from Canada and become an independent state, through the question:...
, and that he believed killing the Prime Minister would cause him to "become a hero for the nation".
His travel during the trial was not restricted, so long as he was accompanied at all times by a worker from the group home. He was formally charged with attempted murder, breaking and entering, possession of a weapon and being unlawfully in a dwelling. His defence counsel was John Hale.
The trial also brought to light the security camera footage of Dallaire freely roaming the property, while RCMP officers should have been monitoring the cameras. Ultimately, four officers were suspended for several months, while three supervisors were re-assigned.
Aftermath
In 1998 Dallaire spoke with the media, apologising for his prior behaviour, and reassuring the Canadian public that he was now on medication that controlled his actions, and that he hoped the Chrétiens were able to forgive his actions.Also in 1998, an intoxicated man was found on the grounds of the Prime Minister's residence, raising questions about the security upgrade undertaken since Dallaire's intrusion.