A driver who was probably participating in a street race in the middle of the night in Montreal has admitted to killing a father by running a red light at high speed in 2020. The culprit deserves a long prison sentence for his crime, pleads the spouse of the victim.
“He took the life of a father, of a husband. I think he should serve a long prison term to think about what he did. He has been free for two years and is spending time with his family. We can’t do that now, ”Victoria Billingy, Kevin Jones-Bynoe’s spouse, told La Presse.
The 32-year-old father died just days after celebrating his son’s first birthday, Victoria Billingy says bitterly. “He was a good father, who took care of his son. I want to be remembered for who he was,” she continues.
Ilias El Azali, a 30-year-old Montrealer, pleaded guilty on December 9 to causing the death of Kevin Jones-Bynoe by driving dangerously and failing to stop after the collision in the night of November 8, 2020. His case was back in court last Thursday for sentencing submissions, scheduled for next May.
The images of the accident filed in evidence are as striking as they are violent. We can see the white taxi driven by Carl Lamarre traveling at normal speed on rue Genest, in Cartierville. On board is his client, Kevin Jones-Bynoe, who became a father a few months ago. It was then 2:42 a.m.
The traffic light is green for the taxi which crosses the intersection of rue De Salaberry, not far from the Sacré-Coeur hospital. The driver and his passenger are unaware that another driver, Ilias El Azali, is about to run the red light at nearly 200 km / h in his Hyundai Genesis.
The impact is extremely violent. The taxi is mowed down in the rear, on the passenger side, then goes into a spin, hitting parked vehicles, then a fence. Kevin Jones-Bynoe didn’t have a chance. The taxi driver, Carl Lamarre, escaped almost unscathed, being discharged from the hospital the same day.
After the accident, the driver, Ilias El Azali, got out of his vehicle and then boarded a blue sedan driven by an unidentified accomplice. But 190 meters further on, the sedan came to a stop. Ilias El Azali can be seen on cameras running to his damaged vehicle to retrieve an item. He then returned to the sedan which sped off.
“Technological evidence will demonstrate that a phone was disconnected from the vehicle at the same time,” the summary of facts states.
After the collision, the Montreal Police Service referred to a “dangerous street race”. The police have also asked for the public’s help in identifying the driver.
“People should be careful. I think if the consequences were more severe, maybe people would think twice about doing this,” says Victoria Billingy.
A few hours after the collision, the police went to the home of Ilias El Azali. He told investigators his vehicle was stolen. However, his vehicle was never reported stolen. A search took place in December 2020, but it was not until February 2022 that Mr. El Azali faced criminal charges.
Me Pierre-Olivier Bolduc represents the public prosecutor, while Me Stéphanie Basso defends the accused.
