A Hells Angel-turned-informant pleads for 2nd chance

On a warm June day in 1997, Diane Lavigne, a widow with two adult daughters, got into her van and headed home.

She left Montreal's Bordeaux jail, where she had worked for more than 10 years. As she drove north on theLaurentian Highway, a motorcycle pulled up beside her.

She wasgunned down in what has been described as a "hail fire" of bullets, becoming one of more than 100 victims of Quebec's infamous biker wars.

Hells Angel Stphane "Godasse" Gagn, 47, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Lavigne'sdeath and was sentenced to life in prison, where he has now served more than19 years.

Gagn, who is eligible for parole in 2023, filed a motionlast year to have his request for parole heard earlier. The motion was granted.

At his Parole Board of Canada hearing for conditional release, held earlier this week, Gagndetailed the path that landed him behind bars and brought him to the point of seekinga second chance.

'If you didn't kill, you don't move up'

As a child, Gagn was bullied, he said. In high school, he started dealing drugs.

"No one bothered me. I learned that money brought respect," he said.

He quit school, started stealing cars and kept on dealing. Soon, he affiliated himself with the Hells Angels in order to make sure he wouldn't get himself into trouble, dealing in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood, which would become a hot bed ofbiker activity.

He wasin his late 20s. He was raking in money, earningbetween $1,000 and $5,000 a week. He was constantly surrounded by pretty women.

But that wasn't enough.

"It was known in wartime that if you didn't kill, you don't move up," Gagn said.

'Repugnant person'

In the summer of 1997, the biker war was in full swing. Afellow biker toldhim they had a job to do aprison guard to kill.

"I had two choices. Go to the police, or say no and be killed," he said.

On June 26, he got on a motorcycle and followed a vehicle coming from the prison onto the Laurentian Highway. When he caught up to the van, he shot the driver, Lavigne, overand over.

Why kill a prison guard instead of a member of the rival Rock Machine gang?

"Prison guards can't kill you," he said.

The next day, with news of the murder plastered all over television screens, Gagn's wife pronounced that whoever killed Lavigne must have been a repugnant person.

Gagn, ashamed, slunk out.

Becoming an informant

He went to meet someone whogave him the praise he was looking for Maurice "Mom" Boucher, who at that point was the head of the Montreal Hells Angels.

Three months later, Gagn was involved in the murder and attempted murder of two other prison guards.

He was arrested in December and agreed to testify against Boucher at his trial. In exchange for his testimony, prosecutors agreed to charge Gagn with a singlecount of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life with no chance of parole for 25 years for the first crime and to 10 years for the second, to be served concurrently.

During Boucher's trial, Gagntold the court he pulled the trigger on the orders of the motorcycle gang leader.

It took two trials, but in 2002, aftertwo months of testimony and 11 days of deliberations, Boucher was convicted of first-degree murder.

In prison, Gagn was the target of threats. His family members were threatened, too. He started spending mostof his time 23 hours a day in solitary confinement.

He was involved in two incidents behind bars, one in 2010 and one in 2016. The nature of those incidents hasn't been disclosed, however, it didlead a parole officer to remark at his hearing that Gagn still has work to do.

Deserving of 2ndchance?

Lavigne left behind two daughters. Theyounger of the two isn't keen onthe idea ofGagnbeing freed.

The eldest, IsabelleDaoust, who was just 22 when her mother died, said 20 years ago, she would have felt the same way.

"I would have said,'Lock him up, throw away the key, and forget about him.'"

But with hindsightand maturity, she said, she now has no problem with Gagn'srequest.

"Without forgiving him completely, I'm not against him asking for his liberty. I could even say the opposite: I can understand that he wants to get out," she said.

Whether Gagn is out on the street or locked up, nothing will bring her mother back, Daoust said.

Her mother was a staunch believer in rehabilitation, and so is she: Gagn was young, she said. He pulled the trigger, but the orders came from higher up. As well, he helped put Boucher away.

After 20 years, Daoustsaid, Gagndeserves a second chance.

'Godasse is no more'

Gagn is still waiting to find out if he'll be allowed to take the first step toward that second chance.

The same parole officer who said Gagn stillhas work to do is recommending he be allowed outbut"always, always, always" with a police escort.

During the hearing, the parole board membersdidn't seem convinced by Gagn's testimony. They challenged his motives, telling him he sounded self-centred.

Gagnsaid he has taken stock of the hurt he's caused, and he knows he can't return to the Hells Angels because gang memberswill kill him.

"'Godasse'Gagn is no more. I'm back to being the person my parents raised," he said.

The parole board has yet to make publicits decision.