BlackburnNews.com file photo of the Superior Court of Justice. (Photo by Jason Viau)BlackburnNews.com file photo of the Superior Court of Justice. (Photo by Jason Viau)
Chatham

Jury Deliberating In Couture Case

The jury is deliberating in the case against former Windsor-area Catholic priest Robert Couture.

He was charged with theft over $5,000 after irregularities were found in Ste. Anne's parish in Tecumseh. Couture is accused of stealing $230,000 from the church.

Defense lawyer Patrick Ducharme submits that there was no theft and that all money that flowed to the priest could be considered gifts for special services-like baptisms, weddings or funerals. In closing submissions Ducharme stated that because the intentions of each individual donor is unknown, the jury cannot determine without a reasonable doubt that the money belonged solely to the parish.

The practice of keeping gifts is allowed under church policy.

Assistant Crown Attorney Tom Meehan told the jury that evidence shows that Couture created schemes to extract donations in the name of the church and kept them for his own purposes.

Meehan submits that Couture had an unauthorized account in the parish's name that only he had access to and he flowed money meant for the church through that account to his own personal accounts and to pay for his Visa.

The judge told the jury that they must determine beyond a reasonable doubt that Couture took or converted money from the parish, and that he did so with the intent of depriving the church of that money, even temporarily.

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