A man with a lengthy criminal record who beat to death a man who had just hit a woman in a Montreal park could be released from prison next year.
“(Mateo) Croxen may have had good intentions at the beginning, but he committed great violence with grave consequences: one person died,” said Judge Alexandre Boucher, sentencing him to one year in prison.
The 40-year-old man, who has been in prison since his arrest in spring 2020, pleaded guilty in December to a reduced charge of manslaughter. So he would have been sentenced to six years in prison, but he has already served five because of the preventive time given.
On May 26, 2020, in a park near the Atwater metro station, Krzysztof Pludowski, who was drunk, hit his partner in the face at least twice. The latter fell to the ground.
Croxen then intervened, and a physical and verbal altercation ensued between the two men. The woman then tried to intervene and separate them, to no avail.
“Mr Croxen threw blunt objects at Mr Pludowski and hit him once on the head with a wooden board. Mr. Pludowski collapsed on the ground, unconscious and shaking,” we read in the verdict handed down recently by a Montreal court.
Mr Pludowski, who was taken to hospital after the attack, died of his injuries a few weeks later.
Krzysztof Pludowski was killed on May 26, 2020 in Montreal.
It is agreed that Mr. Croxen had no intention of killing Mr. Pludowski, Justice Boucher said.
“Let’s be clear, Mr. Croxen’s reaction is more than self-defense or the defense of others,” he clarified, however, mentioning that he represents a risk of repeating the violations.
The offender has 120 convictions between 1997 and 2018, including numerous charges of assault, armed assault, threats and theft.
He has no job and makes a living by stealing and selling stolen goods.
Croxen lived on the streets for most of his adult life, but he did not consider himself homeless because he always managed to find a roof over his head, mainly because of the help of friends, we know in a report made because of its indigenous origins. .
Blame the accused
During the sentencing submission, Croxen apologized and expressed sincere remorse.
“He explained that seeing the woman being beaten reminded him of his mother being beaten and he was filled with emotion. Furthermore, he fully acknowledges that he needs help and that he is not yet ready to enjoy full freedom,” Judge Boucher said.
So Mr. Croxen asked to be sent to a rehabilitation program offered by an indigenous organization in Quebec.
In this case, the Crown is seeking a sentence of 8 to 10 years in prison. The defense, for its part, is asking for a sentence of 5 years.
