ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Calling Sarah Daneault's husband a "goon" and an "unsavoury character," a provincial court judge said Tuesday he believed Daneault had been doing her partner's bidding when she helped him loot a St. John's condo and send the contents to Quebec.
However, Judge Mark Pike rejected Daneault's argument that she should be found not guilty of a charge of theft over $5,000 because she had committed the crime under duress.
Daneault, 35, and her husband, Dominic Delisle, 32, rented a furnished condo in the Rabbittown neighbourhood of St. John’s in October 2017, and Delisle signed the one-year lease under a fake name.
"While it's true she played a lesser role in acting on his direction and doing his bidding, in my view it doesn't arise to duress." — Judge Mark Pike
The landlord, after trying unsuccessfully to collect a number of monthly rent payments and finding the couple’s phone numbers to be out of service, entered the apartment early in the new year to find it cleaned out of everything except the dishwasher, washer and dryer.
Video surveillance revealed the couple had vacated the apartment days earlier with the help of a hired moving company.
The RNC issued a news release with photos of Delisle and Daneault at that time, asking the public for assistance in tracking them down. Police subsequently learned that the entire contents of the condo were stored in a rented locker in Quebec City.
Daneault was arrested early in April 2018, and Delisle was arrested days later, when RNC officers spotted him driving on Torbay Road. Delisle fled police before eventually ditching the vehicle and running, but was caught.
The condo items, with an estimated value of $30,000, were shipped back to the landlord at her own cost.
Delisle – who is listed on the national sex offender registry, was once deemed by the Parole Board of Canada to be a danger to women, and has a criminal record that includes harassment, assault, living off the avails of prostitution, intimidation, drug offences and more – pleaded guilty to charges of theft over $5,000, impersonation, fleeing police and violating the terms of a sex offender registry order (for not notifying police he had moved to Newfoundland or signing in as required).
At his sentencing hearing he admitted he is “not a priest,” and “made a lot of mistakes,” telling the judge he wanted to go back to school and complaining of a lack of services in Her Majesty's Penitentiary.
Daneault may have committed the theft at Delisle's instruction, but her circumstances didn't meet the criteria for the court to accept a defence of duress, Pike said.
Pike noted Daneault's actions included signing the lease agreement, facilitating the removal of the furniture from the condo by the movers and instructing them on items to take, communicating with the moving company via email regarding payment and arranging the items to be delivered to the locker in Quebec.
"He is a most unsavoury character," — Judge Mark Pike
"(Daneault and Delisle) had been married since 2016. She had knowledge that he wasn't working, he was using a false name for fraudulent purposes and that he was often, in her words, out doing his thing. She was working as an escort, a prostitute, possibly under his compulsion," Pike said. "She knew of his criminal past and he had spent five of the seven years that they were together in jail. She came to Newfoundland from the province of Quebec voluntarily, and she became associated and continued her association with him and his criminal activity.
"She had several opportunities, in my view, to leave or take refuge somewhere else," Pike continued, noting Daneault had testified she had been hoping to work on her marriage and return with Delisle to Quebec.
"While it's true she played a lesser role in acting on his direction and doing his bidding, in my view it doesn't arise to duress."
Delisle, now finished his jail term, testified at Daneault's trial and didn't impress Pike, who said he didn't believe a word Delisle had said.
"He is a most unsavoury character," Pike said. "His testimony was filled with braggadocio and profanities, he expressed pride in his long criminal lifestyle, and demonstrated complete disrespect and even contempt for the justice system; certainly a disrespect for his wife, forcing her into prostitution for his financial benefit."
Daneault will return to court Jan. 9 for sentencing, with Pike agreeing with defence lawyer Randy Piercey's request for time to allow his client to arrange her affairs.
Twitter: @tara_bradbury
RELATED
