A cyclist who got into a verbal altercation with a pedestrian on Boxing Day 2023 before throwing rocks and a bottle at the man, contributing to his death, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Vangeli Keskinov sat in the prisoner’s box of a downtown courtroom wearing an orange jumpsuit and admitted to the facts of the case read out in court.
It was Dec. 26, 2023, around 8 a.m., when the 51-year-old left his apartment on Jameson Avenue riding a bicycle before arriving in the area of Roncesvalles Avenue and Dundas Street West.
Around 8:25 a.m., Vinko Skoko walked away from his home on Boustead Avenue for his morning walk. The 68-year-old had broken his pelvis in a car accident in May 2023 and would walk around the neighbourhood as part of his rehabilitation regime. Skoko was not able to run.
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During the walk, Skoko and Keskinov encountered one another and began arguing, though it’s not clear how it started. Parts of the altercation, which lasted about 20 minutes, were captured on video surveillance.
On two occasions during the altercation, Skoko is seen with a pocket knife in his hand, something his family indicated he always carried to cut watermelon and clean his nails.
During the altercation, Keskinov continually engaged Skoko while Keskinov was on his bike, approaching him, riding a short distance away and then re-approaching and re-engaging. At some points, both men were shouting at one another.
At one point, Skoko sat down on a bus stop bench. Keskinov threw an object towards Skoko, before Skoko picked it up and threw it back. Skoko then continued walking. As he rounded Boustead Avenue, Keskinov picked up rocks off the ground and threw them towards Skoko. Keskinov then picked up a bottle from a recycling bin. A smashed bottle was subsequently located in front of a house along Skoko’s route.
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There is no evidence to suggest Skoko was ever hit by any bottle, nor were there any notable injuries caused by sharp objects.
Skoko ultimately made his way home as Keskinov continued to throw rocks in his direction. When Skoko got home at approximately 8:56 a.m., he entered his home and Keskinov continued to throw rocks down the alleyway while riding back and forth. One of those rocks broke the back window of a neighbour’s vehicle. Only Keskinov’s DNA was located on that rock.
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Upon arriving home, Skoko’s daughter observed that her father was flustered, stressed and worried. She said she noticed a red, swollen mark below his right eye. He walked quickly to get his cellphone before calling 911 to report that a man on a bike chased him, had thrown stones at him and had “tried to hit him” with a stone. On the 911 call, he did not say he had actually been hit.
After the call, Skoko got ice from the kitchen and briefly went to the washroom before returning to the living room where his wife and daughter observed him to be out of breath and stressed.
When asked what happened, he said, “That guy got me good.” He further said, “Either the police get him or I will.”
The facts state that Skoko then collapsed, before his daughter called 911. Family members attempted CPR and emergency services attended, but Skoko never regained consciousness. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.
An autopsy found the cause of death to be fatal heart arrhythmia.
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Skoko had advanced heart disease including severe atherosclerosis, an enlarged heart and indications of at least one previous myocardial infarction or heart attack. The pathologist also identified a 2.5-cm red-blue contusion beneath Skoko’s right eye, which resulted from an injury occurring at some point from zero to 48 hours before his death.
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Fatal heart arrhythmia can be caused by emotional excitement, stress and physical exertion, or physical injuries. Each independently can cause fatal arrhythmias in the context of severe underlying heart disease. It is impossible to determine which of these would cause an arrhythmia from a pathology perspective.
Still, Keskinov admits his unlawful actions constitute a significant contributing cause to Skoko’s fatal arrhythmia and subsequent death.
Keskinov fled the scene and was arrested on Dec. 30, 2023. He has been in custody ever since.
Superior Court Justice Jane Kelly agreed with the Crown and defence who jointly submitted an appropriate sentence would be five-and-a-half years in prison and three years of probation. After enhanced credit for pre-trial custody and harsh conditions spent in the Toronto South Detention Centre, Keskinov has six months left to serve.
Crown attorney David Perry pointed out that Skoko was clearly a vulnerable gentleman who was unable to run at the time.
“It’s abundantly clear he’s not able to get away quickly. He has to stop and rest at a bus stop,” said Perry.
He also said that Keskinov has a lengthy criminal record including crimes of violence and multiple breaches of court orders.
“Mr. Keskinov has mental health issues that forms the position that’s being advanced in this case,” Perry said.
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Defence lawyer Tamaira Davidson told the judge that had the case gone to trial, her client could have been acquitted given cause of death was a triable issue.
“Obviously what unfolded here was quite unfortunate but something many people would not have anticipated,” Davidson said.
Before being led away to begin serving his sentence, Kestinov stood up and said he wanted to apologize for his actions that day.
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