A man with a lengthy criminal record who beat to death a man who had just hit a woman in a Montreal park can leave prison next year.
“ [Matthew] “Croxen may have had good intentions at the beginning, but he committed a major act of violence with terrible consequences: a man died,” said Judge Alexandre Boucher, sentencing him to a year in prison.
The 40-year-old, who has been in custody since his arrest in spring 2020, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide last December. He would therefore have been sentenced to six years in prison, but has already served five years due to the preventive period granted.
On May 26, 2020, a drunken Krzysztof Pludowski punched his partner in the face at least twice in a park near the Atwater subway station. The latter fell to the ground.
Croxen then intervened and a physical and verbal altercation broke out between the two men. The woman then tried to intervene and separate them, but to no avail.
“Mr Croxen threw blunt objects at Mr Pludowski and hit him once in the head with a wooden plank. Mr. Pludowski collapsed to the ground, unconscious and twitching,” we read in the verdict handed down recently at the Montreal courthouse.
Mr. Pludowski, who was hospitalized after the attack, died from his injuries a few weeks later.
Krzysztof Pludowski was killed in Montreal on May 26, 2020. Archive courtesy of the family
It was agreed that Mr Croxen had no intention of killing Mr Pludowski, Judge Boucher said.
“Let us be clear that Mr Croxen’s response went beyond self-defense or the defense of others,” he clarified, noting that he was at risk of repeat offending.
The perpetrator has 120 convictions between 1997 and 2018, including several cases of assault, armed assault, threats and theft.
He never had a job and made a living by stealing and selling stolen goods.
Croxen has lived on the streets for most of his adult life, but does not consider himself homeless, as he has often managed to find a roof over his head, especially thanks to the help of friends, we learn in a report published on the basis of his was created of indigenous origin.
remorse of the defendant
During the sentencing, Croxen apologized and expressed sincere remorse.
“He explained that the sight of the woman being beaten brought back memories of his mother beating him and he was overcome with emotion. “Moreover, he was fully aware that he needed help and was not ready to enjoy complete freedom,” Judge Boucher said.
Mr. Croxen therefore asked to be sent to a rehabilitation program run by an indigenous organization in Quebec.
In this case, the Crown sought a sentence of 8 to 10 years in prison. The defense, for its part, had requested a prison sentence of five years.