Speaking through tears, Justin Bourque apologized in a Moncton, N.B., courtroom Tuesday morning at the sentencing hearing for killing three RCMP officers and wounding two others.
Bourque is being sentenced for three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.
He previously pleaded guilty to shooting five RCMP officers on June 4, when he wandered through a north end neighbourhood of the city, dressed in camouflage and carrying a high-powered weapon.
The killer briefly addressed the Moncton courtroom on Tuesday after listening to the Crown prosecutor and his defence lawyer argue over how long he should spend in prison.
Bourque said he took the "easy way out," and the killings are something, "I'm going to have to live with the rest of my life.
"I am sorry. There's nothing else to say," Bourque said.
With that, the court recessed until 2 p.m. AT Friday, when Bourque will learn his fate.
Crown prosecutor Cameron Gunn argued on Tuesday that Bourque committed "one of the most heinous crimes in Canadian history" and should be sent to prison for 75 years without a chance for parole.
The Crown prosecutor said the court had to hand down a stiff penalty to "denounce these crimes."
The Crown is seeking the maximum sentence of three consecutive 25-year life sentences. That would mean Bourque would not be eligible for parole for 75 years and it would be the longest prison sentence in Canadian history.
The Crown also said in court Tuesday that the attempted murders are no less important when deciding on the sentence.
Up until 2011, the maximum sentence a multiple killer could be given in Canada was life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years.
The Crown said a sentence of 25 years would be "wholly inappropriate."
Further, the Crown prosecutor said there is very little case history to rely on in the Bourque sentencing, because the law changed in 2011.
The prosecutor referred to the Travis Baumgartner case in which Baumgartner got 40 years with no chance for parole in 2013 after the former armoured guard shot four co-workers, killing three of them.
David Lutz, Bourque's defence lawyer, said his client has shown remorse. Lutz said Bourque's first words to him were, "I am pleading guilty."
Lutz admitted that other than serial killer Clifford Olson's case, this is one of the worst crimes in Canada.
Lutz said his client realizes his "life is over" and that he would like the chance to apply for parole at 74 instead of 99.
"I say anything other than 50 years is academic. He won't be eligible for parole at 99 years because he will be dead [by then]," Lutz said in court.
Gas stations initial target
The Crown finished its presentation to the court just before 10 a.m. AT.
While the Crown took more than a day to lay out its sentencing argument, Bourque's defence lawyer spent very little time.
Lutz said his client agreed with the majority of the facts presented by the Crown.
But the defence lawyer said Bourque disputed that his client had told a co-worker, "I'm going to pop a couple" of police officers.
Justin Bourque, 24, of Moncton, could be facing three consecutive life sentences, with no chance of parole for 75 years. (Facebook)
Lutz said Bourque first intended to set gas stations on fire. The Crown said it's not choosing to prove that comment was an aggravating factor.
Bourque was in court for the hearing, wearing a grey sweatsuit. He had his ankles and wrists shackled. His face showed little emotion.
On Tuesday morning, the courtroom heard about the arsenal that Bourque carried with him during his shooting spree.
The RCMP recovered two firearms, an M305 .308 rifle and Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun, as well as a gas mask, a pair of binoculars, two knives and survival harness.
The rifle was purchased legally from Better Buy Sports in Moncton using a valid firearm possession and acquisition licence.
The Crown is also detailing the wounds suffered by the RCMP officers and the times of death for the three slain policemen.
Victim impact statements
On Monday, the packed courtroom heard 10 emotional victim impact statements, 911 calls from the night of the shootings and the approximately 3½-hour video statement Bourque gave to police shortly after his arrest on June 6.
What length of sentence do you think Justin Bourque should receive for killing three RCMP officers?
He also brags about his "good moral compass," his tactical skills and how he felt "accomplished" following the shootings.
At the end of the video, however, Bourque asked if the officers who were killed were married and was told they all had children.
He later wrote a note to the families of Const. Doug Larche, Const. Dave Ross and Const. Fabrice Gevaudan, saying he wasn't asking for forgiveness, but that he apologizes.
Some people in the packed courtroom, including some of the relatives of the victims and other RCMP officers, shook their heads and wiped away tears.
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