Latest news with #MichaelGlaspy
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
N.B. man found guilty of manslaughter in Moncton Casino manager's death
The exterior of Casino New Brunswick in Moncton, N.B., is pictured on April 4, 2023. (Derek Haggett/CTV Atlantic) A man has been found guilty of manslaughter following the assault and death of a manager at Casino New Brunswick in Moncton two years ago. Michael Thomas Glaspy of Riverview, N.B., appeared in court on Wednesday and was found guilty by jury of manslaughter in connection with the 2023 homicide. He was released on conditions until his next court appearance on Aug. 13. Members of the Codiac Regional RCMP responded to a report of an assault at the Moncton Casino on March 4, 2023. A 56-year-old man, identified as Rodney Frenette of Moncton, was taken to hospital with serious injuries where he died later that month. Rodney Frenette Rodney Frenette is pictured in a photo from his obituary. (Source: Fergusons Funeral Home) According to Frenette's obituary, he had a long career in the gaming industry and was the food and beverages manager at the casino and oversaw two restaurants. Glaspy, who was arrested at the scene and later released, was arrested again on April 13, 2023. He appeared in court the next day and was charged with manslaughter. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
Man found guilty of manslaughter in Moncton casino manager's death
A Moncton jury found Michael Glaspy guilty Wednesday of manslaughter in the death of a casino manager who was fatally assaulted on the job two years ago. Rodney Frenette died March 28, 2023, in a Moncton hospital, 24 days after being assaulted at a pub inside Casino New Brunswick. The jury deliberated for about six hours starting on Tuesday evening to reach the verdict against Glaspy, of Riverview. During the trial, witnesses testified about what happened in the early hours of March 4, 2024, when Frenette, 56, and Glaspy, 53, got into an altercation. Manslaughter, a homicide that is not intentional, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and there is no minimum. Court heard that Glaspy assaulted Frenette, who fell to the floor and hit his head. WATCH | 'I'm very happy for justice for my wonderful husband': Jury finds Riverview man guilty of manslaughter in casino manager's death 3 hours ago Duration 1:46 Many of Frenette's family members were in the Moncton courtroom when the verdict was read at the end of the three-week trial. His widow, Marie France Frenette, let out an audible sigh when the foreperson read out loud, "Guilty of manslaughter." She began to cry and was hugged by Frenette's sister, Connie Frenette, who was sitting behind her. Glaspy stood still in the prisoner's box and eventually turned to look toward his family in the gallery, as he lightly shook his head back and forth. In her instructions on Tuesday, Justice Christa Bourque gave jurors the option of returning with a verdict of manslaughter, which Glaspy was charged with in April 2023, or the lesser verdict of aggravated assault. During the trial the jury heard conflicting accounts of how the altercation between the two men unfolded, including whether Glaspy's actions were to blame for Frenette falling and fracturing his skull. In his closing statement, defence lawyer Gilles Lemieux argued that the case was "a constellation of what ifs," and that there were other factors that could have contributed to Frenette's death, like a fall he took in hospital during his recovery which became a point of contention in the trial. A pathologist had testified Frenette died of blunt force trauma to the head and suffered a stroke. 'Our lives are forever changed' Outside the courthouse, some of Frenette's family members said they were satisfied with the verdict of manslaughter. "I'm very happy for justice for my wonderful husband," Marie France Frenette, who was married to Frenette for 35 years, said. "He deserved it so much. It's just wrong what happened to him." The victim's sister, Connie Frenette, described her brother as a family man. "He didn't have an aggressive bone in his body," she said. "In a matter of less ... than 30 seconds, he lost his life. And our lives are forever changed." Bourque set Glaspy's sentencing hearing for August 13, 2025 when victim impact statements are expected to be read. Glaspy will be free on bail until then.
CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
Moncton jury begins deliberations in casino manslaughter trial
A Moncton jury has begun deliberating in Michael Glaspy's manslaughter trial in connection with the 2023 death of a casino manager. The 12-member jury received final instructions Tuesday afternoon from Justice Christa Bourque, including how to apply the law in the case and which charges can be considered. After three weeks of testimony related to the death of Rodney Frenette, Bourque said the jury could return with a verdict of manslaughter, but that aggravated assault is also on the table. "Your only responsibility is to determine whether the Crown has proven Michael Glaspy guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," Bourque told the jury. Extensive video surveillance footage and testimony from 19 witnesses detailed an altercation between Glaspy, 53, and Frenette, 56, that took place at Casino New Brunswick on March 4, 2023. It's alleged Glaspy assaulted Frenette, who was food and beverage manager at the casino. Video footage showed the interaction between the two ended with Frenette hitting his head on the floor of the Hub City Pub. He died 24 days later in hospital. Glaspy was charged with manslaughter, a homicide that's committed without intent to kill a person, in April of 2023. To return a guilty verdict of manslaughter, the jury must consider whether the Crown has proven that Glaspy's actions "contributed significantly to Mr. Frenette's death," Bourque said. The jury should only find Glaspy guilty if they can be sure that he intentionally applied force to Frenette without his consent, Bourque explained. She also said the jury should consider whether anything that happened after Glaspy's actions on March 4 contributed to Frenette's death, and if it renders Glaspy's actions insignificant in his death. "Then, according to our laws, Michael Glaspy did not cause Mr. Frenette's death," she said. In Canada, manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. A minimum sentence can vary based on the circumstances of the crime. Aggravated assault also on the table, justice says In court Tuesday, Bourque told jurors they should also consider aggravated assault as a lesser offence if they do not believe the Crown has successfully proven manslaughter. Aggravated assault is more serious than assault, and constitutes actions that cause severe bodily harm or endanger a person's life. For the jury to return with an aggravated assault verdict, they must consider whether the Crown has proven that Glaspy "contributed significantly to the wounding or to the endangering of Rodney Frenette's life," as well as all the other elements of assault. Bourque told the jury that Glaspy's intoxication on the day of the altercation is not a suitable defence in his case. Jury reminded of Frenette's fall in hospital Bourque's instructions, which spanned several hours Tuesday afternoon, also included a summary of some of the evidence the jury heard during the trial. Bourque reminded the jury about the testimony of both the neurosurgeon who treated Frenette in a Moncton hospital and the pathologist who performed Frenette's autopsy. She said their testimony revealed they both knew about a fall Frenette took on March 16, 2023, during his recovery in the hospital, which they read about in nurses' notes from the hospital. Bourque told the jury the notes were not admitted as exhibits in the Crown's case, which means they are not considered evidence. She reminded the jury to question the testimony of each witness they heard, to ask themselves whether they are reliable and to consider how much time has passed between the altercation and witness testimony. When it comes to the video surveillance detailing how the initial altercation unfolded and what took place afterward, Bourque told the jury to re-watch the footage as many times as it takes. "It is your interpretation of these videos that counts," she said, adding that they should rely on what they think they see on the video and not what witnesses have recalled about details like whether Glaspy landed a punch to Frenette and who started it.
CBC
30-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Moncton manslaughter trial full of 'what ifs,' defence tells jury in closing statements
Michael Glaspy's defence lawyer told a jury there were many "holes" in the Crown's case, questioning why the victim's medical records were withheld and claiming security guards made "bad choices" during an altercation at the casino in Moncton two years ago. Gilles Lemieux delivered his closing arguments in the Moncton manslaughter trial on Friday morning. Glaspy is charged with manslaughter in the death of Frenette, who was the food and beverage manager at Casino New Brunswick. "Here you have what I've come to believe is a constellation of what ifs … of things that were either not investigated or just left hanging," Lemieux said, standing at a podium before the 12-member jury in Moncton's Court of King's Bench. Video surveillance played for the jury showed the two men getting into a struggle in the early morning hours of March 4, 2023, and Frenette hitting his head on the floor of the pub inside the casino. A pathologist previously testified Frenette died of a traumatic brain injury and a stroke 24 days later. Both the defence and the Crown reminded the jury of the evidence they've heard over the past three weeks ahead of deliberations which are set to begin Tuesday. In his roughly 45-minute statement, Lemieux began by asking the jury to imagine how the events that set off this case — the altercation between Glaspy and Frenette — could have gone differently at the Hub City Pub inside the casino. "What if Mr. Glaspy and Miss MacDonald hadn't decided to go out on that Friday night?" he pondered. Felicia MacDonald, Glaspy's fiance who was with him at the casino that night, also sat in court. "What if he wasn't quite so large? What if he just kept on walking with a coat in his hand? What if he hadn't drank so much and he had not become unstable on his feet?" Lemieux went on to question why Frenette's roughly 400-page medical records were not disclosed in court, even though Frenette signed a waiver, giving police access to them before he died. Lemieux previously used them to disclose that Frenette had fallen in the hospital on March 16. The pathologist who performed Frenette's autopsy later testified he wasn't aware of that incident. Security made 'bad choices,' defence said Lemieux said security officers working at the casino that night made "bad choices regarding the handling of somebody that should have been handled differently." "He was just drunk," he said, referring to Glaspy, who admitted during his own testimony earlier in the trial that he had too much to drink. Lemieux also pointed to surveillance footage shown to the jury that showed several casino staff members intervening in the altercation. "Where was security? They had been called three times." Lemieux ended by reminding the jury to consider any reasonable doubt in the case. "In the end, I feel certain that you'll come to the conclusion that Mr. Michael Glaspy is not guilty of manslaughter." Crown blames Glaspy for poor decisions The Crown's closing statement, which lasted about 15 minutes, focused on both Glaspy and Frenette's behaviour on March 4. "Mr. Glaspy made a deliberate decision not to leave," Crown prosecutor Marc-André Desjardins said. "Mr. Glaspy was annoyed at being told he had to leave the pub. Mr. Glaspy made the conscious decision to confront Rodney Frenette." It was an altercation that "lasted 30 seconds but forever changed multiple lives," Desjardins said to the jury, as Frenette's wife and daughter looked on from the gallery. Desjardins suggested that while Frenette can be seen shoving Glaspy first on the surveillance video, he was merely putting space between the two of them because Glaspy was "too close for comfort." "Ask yourself: does that seem like the actions of someone who wanted to fight or argue with the accused?" He finished by telling the jury they'll be responsible for determining whether Glaspy's intentions were to cause harm to Frenette. He told the 12-member jury they should consider whether Glaspy is guilty of manslaughter "or, alternatively, of aggravated assault." Justice Christa Bourque told the jury they will be brought back Tuesday, when she intends to deliver instructions on what constitutes manslaughter and how to apply the law to the evidence they've heard. Bourque said when deliberations begin, the jury will be sequestered and will stay in a hotel without their phones until deliberations are complete.
CBC
28-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Accused in Moncton manslaughter trial says he 'retaliated' after manager shoved him
A man accused of manslaughter has told a Moncton jury what happened from his perspective during his altercation two years ago with a casino manager who later died. Michael Glaspy, a 53-year-old from Riverview, is on trial in the death of Rodney Frenette, 56, who was a food and beverage manager at Casino New Brunswick when he died in March 2023. Glaspy told the jury Wednesday that he swung at Frenette in retaliation after Frenette shoved him first. The physical altercation caused Frenette to fall backward and hit his head on the floor. He died 24 days later in a Moncton hospital. The Crown called several witnesses over the past two weeks who recounted how Glaspy had been told he was cut off for drinking too much at the Hub City Pub inside the casino, in the early hours of March 4. The defence opened and closed its case on Wednesday, calling two witnesses, including Glaspy, who began by describing how his evening at the casino started. Glaspy said he had whisky and a shot of tequila at the bar with his girlfriend, Felicia MacDonald. He testified they sat at the bar and also danced. He also said he'd had wine and whisky at two other restaurants, and wine at home earlier in the night. Glaspy said he "had some words" with a man at the bar whom he didn't name. He remembers the man telling him he was going to be thrown out of the casino. Glaspy then identified Frenette in surveillance footage shown to the jury and said he was pointing and yelling at him while he was seated at the bar. Glaspy said he got up, grabbed his jacket and drink and walked over to Frenette on the other side of the bar. "I said to Mr. Frenette that I was leaving and that I was going to go get my girlfriend," Glaspy testified, adding that Frenette told him he couldn't get her and he'd have to leave right away. Glaspy said Frenette was "abrupt and intimidating — stern" and shoved him first. "I retaliated," Glaspy said, specifying that he swung at Frenette but did not land the punch. At this point in his testimony, Frenette's daughter quickly walked out of the courtroom. Frenette's widow had already left. Glaspy continued, saying he remembers people surrounding them during the altercation, and someone had an "arm around my neck." When asked how Frenette ended up on the floor, Glaspy shrugged his shoulders and quickly shook his head back and forth. "He must have fell," he said. "I don't know what happened." Glaspy said he has little recollection of what happened after the altercation. He said he does remember "pressure" being put on his back, having a hard time breathing, and feeling as if was going to pass out when security guards later detained him in the casino lobby. During cross-examination, the Crown referred to a statement Glaspy gave to police after his arrest. They asked him whether it was true that, "in your own words, you drank more than you should have?" In the witness box, Glaspy let out a long exhale, paused and said, "Yes." Before Glaspy testified, the defence also called MacDonald, who has been referred to as Glaspy's girlfriend. Previous testimony from Crown witnesses described her as intoxicated and loud that night, which MacDonald agreed with during her testimony. She told the jury she and Glaspy, whom she's known for 10 years, began drinking around 4:30 p.m. on March 3 and continued drinking into the morning of March 4. She said she does not recall the altercation but remembers being on the dance floor most of the night. She said they were both "in a celebratory mood" because they had discussed their future together and talked about getting married. In his brief opening statement, defence lawyer Gilles Lemieux said he only intended to call those two witnesses. "Let me show you the other side," he told the jury. With both the Crown and the defence cases now closed, Justice Christa Bourque of the Court of King's Bench told the jurors to return Friday, when both sides will deliver their closing statements.
