A Mississauga high school player hit an opponent with a "spear" tackle to the ground, and a witness testified yesterday at the teen's manslaughter trial in Brampton. A man named Craig Inward who was watching the game said that the Erindale Secondary School player burst out in anger after being called for a penalty against Manny Castillo, 15. The Erindale player,18, got pleaded not guilty in trial. According to Inward, he said that he hit Castillo when he didn't have the ball. Manny was dump tackled, but that usually only happens when you have the ball, and he didn't," Andrew Forth (Lorne Park Player) said. When Manny landed on his back, his head "snapped" back, Forth said. It soon became apparent he was injured. "He was fairly aggressive," Inward said. "He was playing contrary to the laws of the game". Inward has also said that there were two players on the Erindale team who came to his attention, and one of them took Manny and threw him over his back. "Usually, you take your punishment and move on quietly, but his was strange behaviour," he testified. "He was screaming and swearing. He exploded".He got charged for aggravated assault, but it got upgraded when Manny died a few days later. The parents of Manny did not want the accused Erindale player to be charged.
In my opinion, the player who killed Manny was simply an aggressive player who got out of hand. It is clear that he was the dangerous one on the Erindale team because at the beginning of the game the Erindale player took Manny and threw him over his back. I don't think he had any intentions to kill Manny, but he for sure did have intentions to hurt him.
I agree Joey. The boy shouldn't be charged with manslaughter. I believe that the original charge, that of aggravated assault would be more appropriate as although he hadn't meant to kill Manny, he had meant to seriously hurt him.
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