A former British soldier was sentenced on Tuesday to more than four years in prison for the involuntary homicide of a Winnipeg businessman in a Toronto bar in August 2023.
The judge of the Superior Court of Ontario, Katherine Corrick, in her reasons for the sentence, said that what happened on August 28, 2023 was not a bar fight, but a “vicious assault with tragic consequences.”
Craig Gibson, 30, a former British body, hit Brett Sheffield, 38, three times in the head with his elbow after a verbal fight in the locals only bar in King Street West that night. Sheffield died in the hospital two days after a broken artery at the base of his brain.
According to the facts of the case, Gibson was at the bar during a stop in Toronto while I walk home to England. At the bar, he met Sheffield, who was on a business trip from Winnipeg.
Corrick said the two men were captured in video socialization and drinking a lot of alcohol. Sheffield then bought cocaine from the cantinero and shared it openly.
A dispute began when Sheffield held some cocaine in Gibson’s nose and ignored Gibson when he tried to talk to him. Corrick said that Gibson, whom he described as “a strong and powerful man,” he hit Sheffield three times in the head and continued trying to hit him until others moved him away.
Corrick said Sheffield was beaten without warning and that he was not in a position to defend himself. He was taken to the hospital, where he died.
Gibson was sentenced on December 20, 2024 for involuntary homicide after a jury trial. His defense of self -defense was rejected by the jury.
Gibson was impairedly discharged from the British army after being arrested. He had served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Kosovo during his career.
Corrick said it is impossible to capture the “deep feeling of loss” of Sheffield’s loved ones, as described by his victim’s impact statements.
“The loved ones of Mr. Sheffield cry not only their loss, but also cry the future with him that has been denied. They stay with scars that will never heal and lives that are diminished forever,” he said.
“No prayer imposed by Mr. Gibson can compensate for the friends and family of Mr. Sheffield for his terrible loss.”
The judge pointed out that Gibson is deeply regretted by his actions and apologized to Sheffield’s family for the pain he has caused.
Corrick said in the sentence that he considered that Gibson will comply with his sentence in a foreign country away from family and friends who cannot visit regularly while residing in England.
