A Toronto taxi driver has been found guilty of manslaughter in the death of a 28-year-old longboarder in downtown Toronto.
A jury found Adib Ibrahim, 43, guilty on Friday, in the death of Ralph Bissonnette, who was struck and killed by Ibrahim’s taxi near King and George Streets in May, 2012.
Ibrahim was charged with second-degree murder, but on Friday jurors found the taxi driver guilty of manslaughter.
During the trial, Crown prosecutors argued that Ibrahim experienced road rage at the time of the incident.
Security camera footage showed Bissonnette riding his skateboard alongside Ibrahim’s taxi cab. The car then veers to the right, knocking the skateboarder over.
Paramedics said Bissonnette suffered serious head injuries in the crash. He was pronounced dead in hospital.
Outside court on Friday, Ibrahim’s lawyer Peter Thorning said his client is “devastated” by the verdict. Ibrahim has suffered health consequences as a result of the incident, and has not been working, Thorning said.
“(Ibrahim) has really struggled with this,” Thorning said. “He’s struggled even to talk about it.”
Ibrahim’s sentencing is scheduled for February.
Toronto Homicide Det. Sgt. Terry Brown told reporters that Bissonnette’s family is “pleased” with the verdict, which gives them “some peace of mind.”
Bissonnette was originally from Quebec City, and lived in Toronto with his girlfriend. The couple had planned to move to B.C.
