Some parole conditions suspended for man who killed senior in bar

In January, when Glen Crossley was sentenced to a 15-month prison term for killing a man during a bar scuffle in Lasalle, the world was a different place.

Back then, COVID -19 seemed to be a concern only on distant continents.

But when Crossley, 50, was granted parole — just three months after his sentencing — the coronavirus was spreading in Quebec, and that has affected how he is to respect the conditions of his release.

Under normal circumstances, the Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles (CQLC) expects an offender to actively seek employment or perform community service while on release — or risk landing behind bars again for failing to follow conditions.

But a written summary of the decision in Crossley’s case notes those two conditions are suspended for the time being “considering the situation related to COVID -19.”

On Sept. 16, 2016, Crossley crossed paths with Albert Arsenault, 70, in a bar in Lasalle. The older man was drunk and accosted a woman Crossley had just met, according to his testimony at his sentencing hearing.

A security camera inside the bar recorded Crossley shoving Arsenault to one side, and he stumbled down a short stairway before his head hit the floor.

Arsenault died of his injuries. Crossley pleaded guilty to manslaughter in September.

He received a 15-month sentence in a provincial detention centre, making him eligible for parole after serving one-sixth of his sentence.

Crossley’s criminal record includes a conviction for killing Olympic swimmer Victor Davis in a 1989 hit-and-run. He struck the gold medallist while driving in Ste-anne-de-bellevue.

In the current case, the CQLC’S decision notes that, because of social distancing measures, Crossley was not able to take part in rehabilitation programs at the detention centre in Montreal.

As part of his release plan, he hoped to return to the type of work he had done in the past — including as a DJ on cruise ships and installing lights or sound systems in hotels and clubs, as well as volunteering to serve meals to the elderly at legion halls.

The CQLC acknowledged there is little chance Crossley will be able to resume this type of work and volunteer efforts while he is on parole.

Crossley’s conditional release expires in June, at which point he is required to appear before the provincial parole board to show he has respected other conditions imposed on him.