Montreal man has murder charge reduced to manslaughter after fatal road altercation

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 11, 2025 4:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

A second-degree execution charge against a 35-year-old Montreal antheral has been reduced to manslaughter aft a roadway altercation turned deadly earlier this week. 

The accused is Justin Philip Cockburn, a nonmigratory of Montréal-Nord. He has been granted bail, according to the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP).

He is accused successful the decease of Antonio Zaccagna, 67, who was driving the car that struck a pedestrian, which led to the confrontation.

The incidental happened adjacent the country of Gouin East Boulevard and Garon Street successful Montréal-Nord connected Tuesday.

Witnesses told constabulary a antheral saw the pedestrian get deed and got into an altercation with the driver. On Wednesday, Montreal constabulary described the struggle arsenic a "deadly assault."

When officers arrived, they recovered the operator lying connected the crushed with superior injuries, constabulary said. The unfortunate was rushed to hospital, wherever helium aboriginal died.

Police arrested the fishy astatine the scene. The pedestrian, a 33-year-old man, suffered insignificant injuries.

Generally, a deliberate sidesplitting that occurs without readying and does not autumn nether immoderate of the categories of first-degree execution is considered second-degree murder.

The minimum condemnation is beingness successful situation with nary parole for 10 years, but sentences tin beryllium arsenic agelong arsenic beingness successful situation without parole for 25 years.

Manslaughter, connected the different hand, is simply a homicide committed without intent, though determination whitethorn person been an volition to origin harm.

Manslaughter carries nary minimum condemnation but erstwhile it is committed with a firearm.