Manslaughter and robbery charges were dropped today against three young men in connection with the death of a young man in the Goulds.

20-year-old Brandon Leftault was stabbed in the lower leg during a fight between two groups of teenagers over marijuana.

It played out around 10 p.m. on April 2nd, 2020, on Sunset Street near Della Drive.

Leftault was eventually rushed to hospital but died a short time later of blood loss.

It was almost a year later before charges of manslaughter and robbery were laid against 18-year-old Jonathan Mathioudakis, and two 17-year-olds, who still cannot be named.

But as the Crown worked on the case, it became evident that there was, in their words, “no reasonable likelihood of conviction.”

In withdrawing all charges of manslaughter and robbery today, the Crown said while the RNC was thorough and diligent with its investigation, it was a complicated file made more complex by restrictions and lockdowns as COVID-19 took hold.

The Crown said while it appreciates the seriousness of any homicide, there were admissibility and other live defence issues that forced its hand.
The Crown also expressed its condolences to the relatives and friends of the victim, calling it a terribly tragic set of circumstances.