April 6th

War toa 3prsr
i LMA

Charred remains

WEST Vancouver Fire Inspector Joe Haggerty examines what remains of a home destroyed by fire in the 2700-block of Mathers
Avenue in West Vancouver early Monday. The occupants suffered smoke inhalation. For details turn to page 16 of today’s News.

NV father pleads not guilty to
first-degree murder and
attempted murder of children

By Anna Marie D’Angeio

News Reporter

DIANA Caoucette told a North Vancouver
bail supervisor in the spring of 1995 that
her estranged husband Michel Andre
Caouette was a good parent to their two
children, but she wasn’t sure if the kids

wanted to see him.

On July 13, 1993, within a couple of months of the com
ment, the nwo children received savage blows to ther heads
with an axe at cheir father’s West Sch Streer apartment.

Danielle Maric Caouette, 10, died of her injuries abour a

Cail:
0-73

DANIELLE CAQUETTE JOSHUA CAQUETTE
week Jarer. She was atracked on her birthday, Her brother,
Joshua Michel Caouerte, then 14, survived the atrack. He us
severely disabled and currently lives with his mother.

Around Town
entertainment
listings

j Table Hopping
spring luncheon
counters

dining p20

radiaw’ Showers, windy
LOC tow FE.

90% pay
hike put
on hold

By Martin Millerchip

Courriduting Writer

A 4-3 split on North
Vancouver District
Council means a pro-
posed 50% council
pay hike will now be
submitted to some
form of independent
review process.

Coun. Eran Criss no
attempts to phase in his recom:
mended incre
were deteated ty
Monday night's cox

The outvome
given that council on
ported the concept
hike by a 6-2 margin

Bur Coun, Janice Harris. who
has provided the sole opposition
to the size of the increase, was
joined by councillors Trevor
Carolan and Glenys Deering:
Robb.

Carolan and Deering-Robb
want an independent arbirrator
or review board to adjudicate any
raise and set a formula in place
for future raises.

neenng.
SUrD TMA

Marge pay

Plan page §

The chitdren’s father, Michel Andre Caourrtte, 43. is
charged with first degree murder and attempted murder. He
has pleaded not guil

Michel Caouetre’s
Supreme Court.

“This was an offence perpetrated by Mr. Caouette on his
children, but not because he be m any iiwill but rather
because of his intense jealousy which eventually turned to

for his wife. Diana,” said) prosecuting r Joe
Rellows in his opening remarks .

“Tris the Crowa’s theory thar Mir. Cacuetre ¢ srately
sought out the cruelest: means by which to cause her rhe
greatest, non-ending anguish possible, which was to kill their
children,” said Bellows,

Bellows said that Michel Caouerze also planned to kill him-
self.

“Burt lost courage and he couldit do it,” said Bellows.

The Caoucttes were married in 1979. They formally sepa

tthe end of April in 1995,

After the separation, an unemployed Michel Caouette
answered a newspaper ad and moved in with a roommate in
the 100-block of West Sth Street in the Lower Lonsdale area.

See Axe pase §

A marriage
made in
salt water