Ex-bouncer's trial set for fall of 2025
Alexander Levy faces two charges in December 2022 death
A former bouncer at the Halifax Alehouse will stand trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in the fall of 2025 on a pair of charges from a fatal incident 15 months ago.
Alexander Pishori Levy, 38, is charged with manslaughter and criminal negligence causing the death of Ryan Sawyer, who was found unconscious on a sidewalk outside the downtown bar Dec. 24, 2022, at about 1:15 a.m.
The 31-year-old Ontario man, who was home visiting family in the Halifax area, was transported to hospital, where he died.
Levy was arrested last Aug. 16 after he turned himself in at Halifax Regional Police headquarters. He was arraigned in Halifax provincial court later that day and released on $2,000 bail with the Crown’s consent.
In January, Levy elected to be tried by a Supreme Court judge and jury. He requested a preliminary inquiry in provincial court, but the Crown filed a direct indictment to send the matter straight to Supreme Court for trial.
Lawyer James Giacomantonio appeared in Supreme Court in Halifax by phone Thursday to get dates for Levy’s jury trial.
Justice Timothy Gabriel scheduled the hearing for 20 days beginning Sept. 29, 2025.
Levy’s bail conditions require him to live with his surety — his mother — at her home in Halifax. He is not allowed to work in any bar, nightclub or establishment whose primary purpose is the sale of alcohol, or in “any occupation that would involve the use of force with members of the public.”
He’s also banned from having contact with six potential Crown witnesses, including Sawyer’s twin brother Kyle.
Ryan Sawyer’s family has filed a civil lawsuit against both the Alehouse and Levy in Supreme Court. The suit claims Levy intentionally assaulted Sawyer, “choking Ryan until and after he lost consciousness.”
The Alehouse was negligent in employing Levy, the family alleges, when it “knew or ought to have known that he posed a risk to the safety of customers and visitors to the premises."
The suit claims the Alehouse failed to adequately train employees to prevent the assault and battery of customers.
Kyle Sawyer, who was with his brother that night, has also launched a suit against the bar. In his suit, Kyle alleges security guards “wrongfully and intentionally” assaulted him by stomping and punching him on the head and body.
The allegations in the suits have not been proven in court. In statements of defence, the Alehouse denies any wrongdoing.
Levy and another Alehouse employee, Matthew Brenton Day, 33, of Dartmouth, are charged with assaulting a male patron at the bar Oct. 10, 2022. Their trial is set for three days this spring in provincial court, starting April 30.