A Christopher Lake, Sask., man charged with second-degree murder in the death of his son’s alleged killer has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Reginald Durocher, 68, was charged with killing Ryan Clark, 34, of Paddockwood, Sask. His jury trial was scheduled to begin Monday at Court of King’s Bench in Prince Albert.
Clark died in the parking lot outside of Mr. T’s Liquor Store in Northside, Sask., a hamlet about 165 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, at around 8:30 p.m. CST on April 4, 2023.
Durocher’s son, Christopher, was beaten to death in an RV at Christopher Lake in 2016. Clark was convicted in 2018 of second-degree murder in connection to Christopher’s death. The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal upheld that conviction, but in November 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned it and ordered a new trial.
Clark was waiting for a new trial date when Durocher killed him.
Sask. man who ran over son’s killer pleads guilty to manslaughter
The agreed statements of facts read out by Crown prosecutor Rob Parker on Monday said Durocher accelerated his truck, striking Clark at close proximity and propelling him into a boulder in the parking lot.
The event was caught on video by a surveillance camera.
The coroner’s report determined Clark died from injuries sustained from the impact of the truck, including blunt force trauma to the head and neck. He also had a brain hemorrhage, cuts and multiple broken bones.
Sask. man charged with murdering son’s accused killer in hit-and-run
Court heard that prior to the incident, Durocher’s granddaughter — his son’s daughter — had called her grandfather upset and crying. She worked at Mr. T’s, and told Durocher that Clark had been in the store smiling and smirking at her.
Under the conditions of Clark’s release, he was not allowed to have any contact with Durocher’s family members, be in a drinking establishment or be near the Little Red River Reserve, which is about five kilometres west of Mr. T’s.
During sentencing arguments, defence lawyer Garth Bendig said Durocher drove to Mr. T’s and started following Clark’s vehicle in the direction of the reserve until Clark noticed him and turned around. They both stopped back in the Mr. T’s parking lot.
Durocher and Clark had a short, heated conversation during which Durocher told Clark he was violating the conditions of his release and to “stay away from his family,” court heard. Durocher said he intended to report the concerns to the authorities.
Clark replied that he had “got away with it once, what makes you think I couldn’t again,” and told Durocher to watch his back, Bendig said.
Three to five seconds later, Durocher hit Clark with his vehicle, killing him.
“It was not a decision, but more of a reaction,” Bendig said, arguing Durocher did not intend to kill Clark, but wanted to hurt him in that moment.
Durocher described his mental state at the time of the incident as fearful and extremely upset, and he had difficulty breathing, Bendig said.
Bendig said it was not an act of “vigilantism,” and the timeline of events shows Durocher ran into Clark in the heat of the moment after being provoked, making manslaughter a more appropriate charge.
When provided with an opportunity to speak in court, Durocher apologized.
“I am very sorry that I took a life,” he said. “I’m really sorry for it.”
Pre-sentencing submissions included that Durocher had been part of the Sixties Scoop. He was first apprehended from his parents at 18 months old and grew up in foster care.
Durocher had been caring for his wife up until her death in 2020. She had suffered a stroke in 2016, shortly after their son Christopher’s death.
Court also heard that Durocher was an extremely co-operative inmate while on remand awaiting trial.
Justice Richard Danyliuk sentenced Durocher to 10 years in prison, with orders for a DNA sample collection, a 10-year firearms prohibition and a lifetime ban on restricted firearms.
With credit for time served, Durocher has four and a half years left on his sentence.
The 2021 GMC Sierra truck that Durocher struck Clark with was forfeited to court.
