For a “brutal, cowardly attack” on a 27-year-old man, run over and left for dead on October 18, 2009, Agustin Caruso pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison.
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Caruso, a 25-year-old from Etobicoke, entered the plea in a courtroom in Toronto Monday morning.
It took another two years for Mr. Caruso, charged with second-degree murder, to plead guilty to manslaughter.
Caruso addressed the court, sobbing through his statement.
Caruso, who was 19 at the time of the incident, confirmed in court Monday he was the driver of the vehicle that ran over Skinner.
At the end he turned to Skinner’s family and said, “I’m so sorry for what I did and didn’t do”.
Police say he may have “inadvertently” come into contact with a passing vehicle when a few of the occupants got out and assaulted him.
“The crime remained unsolved for many years because of the actions of Caruso and his friends”, said Crown lawyer Ann Morgan.
According to an agreed statement of facts read by the Crown, Skinner had been celebrating his younger sister’s birthday at a bar in the Entertainment District.
Caruso said he was intoxicated by drugs and alcohol at the time of Skinner’s death.
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The men in the auto got out and began to kick and punch Skinner, continuing even after he fell motionless to the ground. Police said the men then returned to the vehicle and drove over Skinner before leaving the scene.
