3 Canadian Army reservists beat a homeless Toronto man to death.

[JohnyCanuck]

There's a spot in Toronto's lower Cabbagetown with a million-dollar view of the city that came vacant recently, but a willing tenant won’t be moving in any time soon.

It's a park bench in Moss Park, where Paul Croutch used to sleep, before the 59-year-old was beaten to death last month, apparently just for being there -- and for being homeless.

<snip>

Charged with the killing are three young reserve soldiers attached to the Queen’s Own Rifles, Jeffery Hall, 21, Mountaz Ibrahim, 23, and Brian Deganis, 21. They were at the nearby armoury that night and had been to a farewell dinner downtown for a group of visiting German soldiers.

<snip>

According to Shapcott, other homeless people in Canada have been attacked, even murdered, simply because their ragged state makes them repulsive to some and a target for hatred.

http://www.cbcunlocked.com/artman/publish/features/article_216.shtml

What a bunch of sick, twisted scumbags. One can only imagine what they might have done to the locals if they had been shipped over as part of the Canadian contingent to Afghanistan.

(CBCUnlocked.com is the web site run by CBC journalists and reporters locked out in a current contract dispute with the CBC)

Here's another story in the Toronto Star showing (thankfully)that not all members of the Queen's Own Rifles are a bunch of bullying, murderous aholes (registration required) :

The day after homeless man Paul Croutch was found fatally beaten next to the Moss Park Armoury, a second homeless man found himself lying near the same building in far different circumstances.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, apparently walked into a passing streetcar in front of the armoury at Queen and Jarvis Sts. and fell to the pavement with a gaping head wound.

A small crowd gathered, members of the military say. Three reserve soldiers from the Queen's Own Rifles spotted the commotion and went to the rescue.

"Everybody was standing around staring," Capt. Chris Abate, 21, recounted. "The man was bleeding and we administered first aid until the emergency services arrived."

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1126478106996&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes

[Amonester]

1. Glad to know these heartless Criminals got caught. Hope others

who'd wish to emulate them will think about it more than twice before murdering other poor human beings just because they think they can.

Criminals can "hide" anywhere.

Good, caring, and generous people can "shine" anywhere too.

Real intelligent people know how to recognize the good ones.

Wish the Criminals will pay for their crime(s).

Thanks for posting this.

[mzmolly]

2. How very sad. Many of the homeless in America are veterans.

Ironic.

:(

[ninty]

3. I'm a reservist

and in defence of my fellow members, most of us are not like that. I'm sure there are bad people in the Army and other places of government, but there are bad people everywhere. Sad to see it happen, and things like this souldn't happen regardless.

[applegrove]

4. Yup. Bad people could be in any walk of life. Scary.