Bartenders, patron describe violent altercation in Moncton manslaughter trial

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New Brunswick·New

Witnesses testified Thursday that Michael Glaspy, who is facing a manslaughter charge, assaulted Rodney Frenette astatine the Hub City Pub and wanted to support "attacking" him aft helium fell to the level and remained motionless.

Rodney Frenette allegedly assaulted connected the occupation successful 2023. He aboriginal died successful hospital

Katelin Belliveau · CBC News

· Posted: May 15, 2025 4:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

A solid lighthouse stands supra a covered doorway with a motion saying "casino".

Two bartenders and a patron testified successful Moncton Court of King's Bench Thursday astir what unfolded astatine a pub wrong Casino New Brunswick successful the aboriginal greeting hours of March 4, 2023.

Michael Glaspy, 53, is facing 1 complaint of manslaughter successful transportation with the decease of Rodney Frenette, a nutrient and beverage manager astatine the casino. Frenette died 24 days aft the alleged battle astatine Hub City Pub.

Video surveillance of an altercation betwixt Glaspy and Frenette was presented to the assemblage respective times successful tribunal Thursday.

Glaspy is seen walking up to Frenette adjacent the pub's creation floor, wherever radical were sitting and talking astatine tables. After an statement and a struggle, Frenette yet stumbles and falls backwards, hitting his caput connected the floor. He does not get up.

Danilo Roque, who was a bartender astatine Casino New Brunswick for 11 years and was moving that night, testified that helium saw however the altercation began.

"Mr. Glaspy was excessively adjacent to Rodney, similar helium was going to bash something," helium told the jury. "Then I saw a swing."

Roque clarified that helium did not see Glaspy's punch deed Frenette.

Roque said helium and different bartender, Dominic Gagnon, ran implicit and held Glaspy's arms arsenic helium was "trying to onslaught Rodney." Roque testified he heard Glaspy say "just 1 punch, conscionable 1 punch."

Gagnon also testified connected Thursday and confirmed however the combat unfolded and that Glaspy seemed to privation to proceed to deed Frenette.

A ample antheral successful a achromatic suit extracurricular a courthouse.

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Gilles Lemieux replayed footage of the altercation for Roque, pausing adjacent the beginning.

"Would you hold with maine that Mr. Frenette pushed him?" helium asked Roque, referring to a infinitesimal wherever Frenette tin beryllium seen shoving Glaspy.

Roque replied, "Yes."

"And determination hadn't been a plaything astatine that point, is that correct?"

Roque replied, "No."

Lemieux continued the video to a constituent wherever Frenette is seen falling backward, on with Glaspy and the bartenders holding him.

"Everybody went down similar dominoes, would you agree?," Lemieux asked Roque, to which helium replied, "Yes."

"It wasn't a punch that knocked him down ... would you hold with me?"

"I deliberation so," Roque said.

Glaspy and his woman 'seemed intoxicated'

Jennifer Gallant, who described herself arsenic a regular astatine the pub, was astatine Casino New Brunswick that day.

She testified that passim the evening and into the aboriginal morning, Glaspy and his woman were "disturbing everyone that was astatine that place" and that "there was a batch of drinking."

Gagnon said helium served Glaspy 2 treble whiskeys and a changeable of tequila, and that helium "seemed intoxicated." He said Glaspy's woman had a treble whiskey, past a single, and changeable of tequila.

The Crown played much video surveillance of the pub, which showed the set playing and radical dancing. Gallant said she was sitting astatine a array betwixt the creation level and a agelong bar.

Gallant told the assemblage that anterior to the altercation, she heard Frenette archer Glaspy astatine the barroom that helium would nary longer beryllium served intoxicant but that helium could stay.

Later, during cross-examination, Gallant changed parts of her answers.

When asked if she had seen Frenette archer Glaspy that helium was chopped off, she said she couldn't beryllium definite it was Glaspy who was being addressed.

RCMP researcher tells Moncton manslaughter proceedings of battle captured connected video

She besides said that she didn't find immoderate of Glaspy's behaviour offensive, nor that helium was disturbing anyone arsenic Lemieux replayed video of Glaspy dancing.

When the Crown asked Gallant to recount what she saw aft the altercation, she said that from her array she saw Frenette laying connected the ground.

"He was down and determination was humor coming retired of his ears," she said, adding that helium was shaking aggressively.

Around this clip successful Gallant's testimony, Frenette's woman and girl near the courtroom, some successful tears. Members of Glaspy's household were besides successful court.

Gallant said she yet got up, cleared the country astir Frenette, and told the set to halt playing.

She said she heard Glaspy locomotion backmost into the abstraction and say, "This is not done, this is not done."

Later, during cross-examination, Gallant clarified, saying she wasn't definite if Glaspy oregon a information defender oregon idiosyncratic other had said those words.

The Crown intends to telephone further witnesses connected Friday arsenic the four-week proceedings continues.