New Brunswick

Jury in Moncton casino manslaughter trial retires after evening of deliberating

After three weeks of testimony, a jury has begun deliberations in Michal Glaspy’s manslaughter trial. Jurors spent about two and a half hours deliberating Tuesday evening before breaking for the night. They're scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Deliberations in Michael Glaspy's trial scheduled to resume 9 a.m. Wednesday

A man in a suit walking out of a courthouse.
A 12-member jury began deliberating Tuesday evening in Michael Glaspy's manslaughter trial. He is pictured here walking out of the Moncton courthouse on May 20, 2025. (Katelin Belliveau/CBC)

A jury has paused deliberations in a Moncton manslaughter case until Wednesday morning when they will continue try to reach a verdict.

The 12-member jury called it a night just after 8 p.m. Tuesday after deliberating Michael Glaspy's verdict for about two and a half hours.

Deliberations are scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday. 

The jury received final instructions Tuesday afternoon from Justice Christa Bourque, including how to apply the law in the case and which charges can be considered. 

After three weeks of testimony related to the 2023 death of Rodney Frenette, Bourque said the jury could return with a verdict of manslaughter, but that aggravated assault is also on the table.

"Your only responsibility is to determine whether the Crown has proven Michael Glaspy guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," Bourque told the jury.

Extensive video surveillance footage and testimony from 19 witnesses detailed an altercation between Glaspy, 53, and Frenette, 56, that took place at Casino New Brunswick on March 4, 2023.

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After six hours of deliberations, a Moncton jury reached a verdict in the case of Michael Glaspy, accused of killing Rodney Frenette.

It's alleged Glaspy assaulted Frenette, who was food and beverage manager at the casino. Video footage showed the interaction between the two ended with Frenette hitting his head on the floor of the Hub City Pub. He died 24 days later in hospital.

Glaspy was charged with manslaughter, a homicide that's committed without intent to kill a person, in April of 2023.

To return a guilty verdict of manslaughter, the jury must consider whether the Crown has proven that Glaspy's actions "contributed significantly to Mr. Frenette's death," Bourque said.

A man with grey hair wearing a blue dress shirt smiling while giving a thumbs-up.
Rodney Frenette, 56, died on March 28, 2023, 24 days after an altercation with Michael Glaspy at Casino New Brunswick. (Ferguson Funeral Home)

The jury should only find Glaspy guilty if they can be sure that he intentionally applied force to Frenette without his consent, Bourque explained.

She also said the jury should consider whether anything that happened after Glaspy's actions on March 4 contributed to Frenette's death, and if it renders Glaspy's actions insignificant in his death.

"Then, according to our laws, Michael Glaspy did not cause Mr. Frenette's death," she said.

In Canada, manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. A minimum sentence can vary based on the circumstances of the crime.

Aggravated assault also on the table, justice says

In court Tuesday, Bourque told jurors they should also consider aggravated assault as a lesser offence if they do not believe the Crown has successfully proven manslaughter.

Aggravated assault is more serious than assault, and constitutes actions that cause severe bodily harm or endanger a person's life. 

For the jury to return with an aggravated assault verdict, they must consider whether the Crown has proven that Glaspy "contributed significantly to the wounding or to the endangering of Rodney Frenette's life," as well as all the other elements of assault.

Bourque told the jury that Glaspy's intoxication on the day of the altercation is not a suitable defence in his case.

Jury reminded of Frenette's fall in hospital

Bourque's instructions, which spanned several hours Tuesday afternoon, also included a summary of some of the evidence the jury heard during the trial.

Bourque reminded the jury about the testimony of both the neurosurgeon who treated Frenette in a Moncton hospital and the pathologist who performed Frenette's autopsy. 

She said their testimony revealed they both knew about a fall Frenette took on March 16, 2023, during his recovery in the hospital, which they read about in nurses' notes from the hospital.

Bourque told the jury the notes were not admitted as exhibits in the Crown's case, which means they are not considered evidence.

A glass lighthouse stands above a covered doorway with a sign saying "casino".
Justice Christa Bourque delivered her instructions to the jury for several hours Tuesday afternoon. She included a summary of the evidence heard during the trial which focused on the altercation at Casino New Brunswick in the early hours of March 4, 2023. (Paul Landry/Radio-Canada)

She reminded the jury to question the testimony of each witness they heard, to ask themselves whether they are reliable and to consider how much time has passed between the altercation and witness testimony.

When it comes to the video surveillance detailing how the initial altercation unfolded and what took place afterward, Bourque told the jury to re-watch the footage as many times as it takes.

"It is your interpretation of these videos that counts," she said, adding that they should rely on what they think they see on the video and not what witnesses have recalled about details like whether Glaspy landed a punch to Frenette and who started it.

Once the jury completes its deliberation and comes to a unanimous verdict, Bourque said a verdict will be read in court by a foreperson.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katelin Belliveau is a CBC reporter based in Moncton.