Manslaughter plea in 2009 slaying of Christopher Skinner

A man facing a manslaughter charge in the death of a man who was allegedly assaulted then run over by a vehicle has pleaded guilty.

Caruso, a 25-year-old from Etobicoke, entered the plea in a courtroom in Toronto Monday morning.

Caruso, who was charged with second-degree murder, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter on Monday. Through tears, he apologized to the Skinner family and asked for forgiveness.

Police say the the deceased may have inadvertently come into contact with the vehicle while trying to hail a cab, prompting the attack in the early hours of October 18th, 2009 in the area of Adelaide and Victoria streets.

Caruso was arrested in November 2013, after police wiretapped a group of suspects.

“The crime remained unsolved for many years because of the actions of Caruso and his friends”, said Crown lawyer Ann Morgan. With credit for time served, his sentence means he has a little over six years left to serve behind bars. He refused and Skinner banged on the window of the SUV.

Mr. Caruso admitted that he participated in assaulting Skinner though he was too intoxicated to recall the extent.

The men in the vehicle got out and began to punch and kick Mr. Skinner until he collapsed motionless in front of the auto.

He admitted he knew Skinner was lying on the roadway when he got back into his SUV and then drove forward.

Crown and defence are both asking for eight and a half years’ prison time.