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Montreal robber scarred by acid during botched heist sentenced to 12 years
Montreal Gazette ^ | June 29, 2016 | Paul Cherry

Posted on 06/30/2016 5:53:20 AM PDT by Colofornian

A man whose face was left permanently scarred after the tables were turned on him when he and an accomplice tried to rob a jewelry store in Park Extension has been sentenced to a 12-year prison term.

Richardson François, 31, received the sentence Wednesday afternoon during a hearing at the Montreal courthouse. Quebec Court Judge Hélène Morin mentioned the fact that François ‎remains heavily scarred by the nitric acid that was tossed in his face in January 2013 while reading from her judgment. But she did not list it as a mitigating factor when she explained how she reached the 12-year sentence.

The Crown had asked for a 14-year sentence and Morin said she decided on 12 years because François had pleaded guilty to the armed robbery in Park Extension, another robbery committed at a jewelry store in October 2012 and to being part of an assault on a fellow detainee inside the Rivière-des-Prairies Detention Centre after his arrest. The seven people in all who were victims of François’s crimes did not have to testify in court, and relive what they went through, because of the guilty pleas.

Defence lawyer Neil Demmerle-Shantz had recommended a nine-year prison term.

Morin noted that while François claimed the scars he suffered caused him to reflect on his life, this did not stop him from joining several other detainees when they assaulted the man in the jail on March 1, 2014.

During the botched robbery, on Jan. 22, 2013, in Park Extension, François and an accomplice, Jerry Theodore, walked into a jewelry store and pretended to check out items in the store’s display counter. François suddenly pulled a firearm on the store’s owner while Theodore pulled out a sabre. But the situation changed in seconds after the owner somehow disarmed François and three of the owner’s relatives came to his defence.

An all-out brawl broke out and at some point one of the owner’s relatives tossed nitric acid in the faces of François and Theodore. The acid is commonly used by jewellers to test the quality of gold.

François suffered the worst scars from what happened. He lost partial vision in one of his eyes and his scars have significantly altered his appearance.

With time served factored in, François has a little less than seven years left on his sentence.

Theodore, 35, was left with a 63-month prison term when he pleaded guilty to the armed robbery in Park Extension in May 2014. The Parole Board of Canada denied Theodore’s request for day parole in April.


TOPICS: Canada; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: acid; jewel; sentenced; thieves

1 posted on 06/30/2016 5:53:20 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: Colofornian
He does not looked scarred to me.


2 posted on 06/30/2016 5:57:41 AM PDT by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: All
One of these robber-wannabes got a dozen years; whereas a drunk driver from a billionaire's family who killed 3 children & their grandchild in Canada got 10 yrs this year: Marco Muzzo sentenced to 10 years in drunk-driving crash that killed 4

As a result of that traffic accident, a mom was left without all of her children & lost her dad & "eight EMS personnel took a leave for post-traumatic stress disorder" Marco Muzzo crash left paramedics with PTSD and spurred a region to lead Canada

3 posted on 06/30/2016 5:59:18 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: Colofornian
"... while Theodore pulled out a sabre."

And they say chivalry is dead!

4 posted on 06/30/2016 5:59:40 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: rjsimmon

0bama’s nephew?


5 posted on 06/30/2016 6:00:19 AM PDT by NorthMountain (A plague o' both your houses.)
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To: Colofornian

and here’s the robbery caught on tape:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhk2XkJ_Kyw


6 posted on 06/30/2016 6:01:23 AM PDT by Pelham (Obama, the most unAmerican President in history)
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To: Colofornian
"Quebec Court Judge Hélène Morin mentioned the fact that François ‎remains heavily scarred by the nitric acid that was tossed in his face in January 2013 while reading from her judgment." Pretty adept judge, tossing acid in his face while she was reading, though from the posted photo, she missed.
7 posted on 06/30/2016 6:13:59 AM PDT by treetopsandroofs (Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just "The Great War" and "Roosevelt's Wars".)
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To: Colofornian
He looks a bit messed up.

From here: http://www.courrierlaval.com/Faits-divers/2016-02-16/article-4438002/Le-voleur-de-bijoux-a-la-machette-plaide-coupable/1

8 posted on 06/30/2016 6:30:05 AM PDT by USMCPOP (Father of LCpl. Karl Linn, KIA 1/26/2005 Al Haqlaniyah, Iraq)
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To: Colofornian
François ‎remains heavily scarred by the nitric acid that was tossed in his face in January 2013 while reading from her judgment.

Now that is what you call a hangin' judge!

9 posted on 06/30/2016 6:42:10 AM PDT by 17th Miss Regt
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To: Colofornian

Nitric acid would do it. Many’s the time I’ve had the dreaded “yellow finger” while working around that stuff.


10 posted on 06/30/2016 6:42:31 AM PDT by IronJack
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To: Colofornian

I am going to start carrying a thermos of Hydroflouric acid with me. Stuff may come in handy as a distractant till you can get a good site picture on your target.

And the pain infliction is a plus.


11 posted on 06/30/2016 7:08:41 AM PDT by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
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To: Pelham

Hacking at their heads with that sword IS attempted murder, not just robbery.


12 posted on 06/30/2016 7:29:47 AM PDT by Hulka
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To: Hulka

The acid guy had already been involved in one murder. Not sure if he had the gun or the sword.

That is one weird fight. Longer and slower than I expected.


13 posted on 06/30/2016 7:35:38 AM PDT by Pelham (Obama, the most unAmerican President in history)
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To: Pelham

Indeed. Yes.
There was one guy who had the sword and he hacked the workers.


14 posted on 06/30/2016 7:42:05 AM PDT by Hulka
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To: IronJack

I was a Chemistry major in college, and was pretty careful, but some had spilled on the counter and my forearm came into contact with it...nasty, nasty.

I had a patch about the size of two quarters that turned darkish brown and hard. Felt like it took months to heal.

That guy shouldn’t have been robbing a store.


15 posted on 06/30/2016 9:03:10 AM PDT by rlmorel (Orwell described Liberals when he wrote of those who "repudiate morality while laying claim to it.")
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