The first of four men charged in the 2023 homicide of 35-year-old Gabriel Dumont pleaded guilty in Edmonton Court of King's Bench on Friday. Dustin Couterielle-Hilton admitted to manslaughter with a firearm, down from first-degree murder.
Gang Reprisal Planned
According to an agreed statement of facts, Dumont was a full-patch member of the Indigenous street gang Redd Alert but had fallen out of favor. On April 8, 2023, Couterielle-Hilton, also a Redd Alert member, teamed up with three others to beat Dumont and strip him of his membership.
The group staked out Dumont's apartment at 10944-97 St., storing a .22-calibre rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun in a woman's suite next door. They found him in a stairwell at 10948-97 St., shooting him once in the back with each firearm. The shotgun blast struck Dumont in the upper back, damaging his heart. All four men fled; the guns were never recovered.
Prosecutor Details
Prosecutor Lawrence Van Dyke said it is unknown which of the four men fired the shots, but they formed a common plan to injure or kill Dumont. Couterielle-Hilton remains in custody, appearing before Justice Kent Teskey in orange Edmonton Remand Centre coveralls.
While in jail early last year, Couterielle-Hilton tried to influence the woman in whose apartment the guns were hidden, writing her a letter with a scripted statement for his lawyer and prosecutors. The letter was intercepted by remand staff and never delivered.
Next Steps
Couterielle-Hilton's next court date is Aug. 21 to set a sentencing date. Defence lawyer Anna Konye has requested a Gladue report to assess how his Indigenous background may have contributed to his offending.
