Garrett Johnston found guilty of manslaughter after trial in Saint John
CBC
Garrett Johnston, who punched Mark Baker in the face outside a Saint John strip club two years ago, has been found guilty of manslaughter.
It took the jurors more than nine hours of deliberation over two days. They sent word just before 10:30 a.m. Thursday that they had reached a verdict.
Johnston, 24, was charged with manslaughter in the death of Mark Baker.
Since there is no minimum sentence for manslaughter, and since the Crown did not object to his release, Johnston walked out of the courthouse with his parents a short time later.
He will return to court for sentencing on Jan. 27 at 1:30.
Johnston and Baker crossed paths for the first time outside Club Blush on Oct. 26, 2019. Johnston punched Baker once in the face, causing him to fall over backwards and hit his head on the sidewalk.
Medical experts testified that Baker, 59, died of blunt-force trauma to the head.
As he did throughout his testimony, Johnston wore a mask when the jury announced its verdict, but he appeared to take the news stoically.
He declined comment, as did members of Baker's family, and lawyers for both sides.
The victim's family will be invited to submit victim-impact statements to the court for consideration at sentencing. Johnston will have a pre-sentence report prepared to further assist Justice Darrell J. Stephenson in sentencing Johnston.
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