Stabbing ends in manslaughter verdict
Victim’s family says justice is served, killer’s mom says he fought ‘bullies’
The two families in Ottawa courtroom No. 33 offered different portraits Friday afternoon as a jury found Ben Taylor guilty of manslaughter in the 2011 knifing death of Scott Ledoux.
The victim’s family expressed thanks and said justice was served; the convicted killer’s mother stood outside court saying her son was going to jail for no other reason than defending himself in his own home against “bullies.”
Ben Taylor, 20, expressed relief after the jury spared him the more serious charge of second-degree murder.
Taylor, who had no criminal record at the time, testified in his own defence. His lawyer, Pat McCann, told the jury he couldn’t think of a clearer case of self-defence as he described Ledoux as bigger, and high on booze and cocaine the night of the deadly fight.
Taylor and Ledoux fought twice that night inside the Orléans apartment. The first started and ended as a fist fight. The second ended when Taylor pulled a kitchen knife that he had hidden in his pocket.
Taylor testified that he feared for his life and recalled falling backwards to the floor and Ledoux and two other men over him, beating him up.
Taylor had invited some people over for drinks, and when he headed out that night for a St. Patrick’s Day party he let some of them stay behind to finish up. But when he returned, he found his apartment trashed and demanded that they leave. Scott Ledoux wasn’t in the mood for leaving. He refused and either pushed his hand in Taylor’s face or swiped his face.
Either way, Taylor then sucker punched Ledoux and the two fought briefly before others broke it up.
Moments later, a second fight broke out, with Taylor saying Ledoux attacked him from behind and punched him in the head. In his version, he was on the ground, wrestling to get Ledoux off him when he saw a menacing entourage closing in.
It’s not clear when the knife came out, but within seconds Ledoux was bleeding from seven stab wounds. Nobody witnessed the actual stabbing, but the Crown maintained that Taylor was already back on his feet when he pulled the knife.
The defence argued that Taylor, fearing Ledoux, pulled the knife from his pocket and began stabbing upwards in self defence.
“I’m surprised the jury didn’t find self-defence,” said McCann, though he noted his client was relieved that he was not convicted of second-degree murder.
Scott Ledoux’s family gave a statement through lead Ottawa police Det. Rick McIntosh:
“The family wants to pass along their thanks to the jury for their dedication and they fully support the verdict. They are thankful that the justice system worked this time and pleased that the jury came back with the right outcome.”
The police detective told the Citizen that the victim’s family holds no ill will against Ledoux’s killer’s family.
Taylor’s family, however, said the guilty verdict sends a warped message that you can’t defend yourself from bullies.
“My son fought for his life and property and now he’s convicted of manslaughter,” said Caroline Taylor shortly after the verdict. Her “skinny, scrawny 18-year-old son” was being beaten up in his own home and he was defending himself against “bullies.”
But the jury didn’t buy the self-defence story.
Prosecutor Robert Wadden had argued there was no justification for Taylor to bring a knife to a fist fight. He described the fight as fair, up until the knife came out, noting that the only differences between the young men was that Ledoux was four years older and 30 pounds heavier than Taylor.
In closing statements to the jury, Wadden said: “This case is about the stabbing death of an unarmed man in the middle of a fist fight.”
Ben Taylor looked over at his family in the front row of the court before he was escorted, in shackles, to jail, where he will await sentencing. His next court appearance before Ontario Justice Charles Hackland is on March 1.