Glen Crossley, once convicted in death of Canadian Olympian, pleads guilty to manslaughter
AlbertArsenault, 70, died after altercation at LaSalle bar
Glen Crossley, who served time for the death ofOlympic swimmer Victor Davis, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a separate incident at a Montreal bar nearly three decades later.
The altercation took place after Crossleymet friends at Station 77, a bar on Newman Boulevardin the borough of LaSalle, on Sept. 17, 2016.
Crossley regularly met friends at the bar for a night of karaoke, according to an agreed statement of facts presented to the court Monday.
AlbertArsenault, a 70-year-old man who was not part of the group, was also present.
He was"severely intoxicated" and "approached several people in the bar, looking them up and down, giving them dirty looks and was walking back and forth," according to the court document.
At around 10:30 p.m., Arsenault gave Crossley "the middle finger," nearly touching his face, as they stood near the barstairwell.
In response, Crossley grabbed Arsenault by his shirt collar, "pushing him away to get him out of his face."
As soon as Crossley let go of Arsenault, he was "so close to the stairs that he fell and landed on his back."
It wasn't immediately clear Arsenault had been seriously injured. Crossley left soon after.
When Arsenaultdidn't move, bystanders called 911. He was treated at the scene and his death was confirmed in hospital a few hours later, at 2:29 a.m. An autopsy revealed he had suffered "cranio-cerebral trauma."
Crossleypleaded guilty Monday at the Montreal courthouse. Sentencing arguments are expected next month.
Olympian killed
In 1992, Crossleywas given a 10-month sentence in connection with the death ofDavis, a star swimmer with Canadian Olympic team.
Davis, who won a gold medal and two silvers atthe 1984 Olympics, died two days after he was struck by a car inSainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que., in 1989. He was 25.
The court heard that Davis and Crossley had exchanged words at a bar earlier in the night.
Crossley said he didn't even realize he had struck someone with his car, but the judge in the case found his testimony "unbelievable."
Crossley ended up serving four months of his sentence.