(no subject)
Accused says he’s ‘fall guy’
TOURIST KILLED: Man charged in fight speaks out
Posted By BRENDAN WEDLEY/Examiner Staff Writer
A man charged in connection with a fight that led to the death of an English visitor on Tuesday says he’s the “fall guy” and he was panhandling at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Lawrence Carnrite, 39, spoke to The Examiner in a telephone interview yesterday from the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay. He was arrested on Wednesday and charged with assault with a weapon.
Carnrite was allegedly involved in a fight between two English visitors and a group of men in the Chambers St. municipal parking lot on Hunter St. in Peterborough early Monday morning.
One of the English visitors, Stuart Firth, 42, died at a Kingston hospital on Tuesday from head injuries he suffered in the fight.
His friend, 38-year-old Tim Bowers, also from Leeds, England, was treated for minor injuries and released early Monday morning.
Carnrite allegedly hit Bowers with a “hard impact weapon, similar to a metal bar.”
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Police haven’t yet laid charges in connection with the homicide.
Carnrite denies that he hit either Bowers or Firth.
“I am not guilty,” he said. “(I was) panhandling at the wrong place at the wrong time and some guys got into a fight and I got charged with assault with a weapon.
“They’re threatening to charge me with manslaughter.”
Multiple sources have told The Examiner that they saw the homicide victim and Bowers at the Historic Red Dog bar on Hunter St. during last call on Monday morning.
The Chambers St. parking lot is across the street from the Red Dog.
At about 2:20 a.m. on Monday, Mr. Firth and Bowers got into a fight with a group of men in the parking lot, west of George St., city police state.
Mr. Firth was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre, then airlifted to a Kingston hospital, where he died the next day.
Anne Firth arrived in Kingston from Leeds before her husband died.
“From what I can gather, Stuart and Tim were trying to stop a fight,” she said earlier this week. “Stuart and Tim didn’t cause a fight … they were helping a local boy called John, I think.”
Firth added that the police know “the other three” people who were involved in the fight in addition to Carnrite.
Carnrite said he was panhandling on Hunter St. on Monday morning.
“I was panhandling off the guys that were in the fight,” he said. “The British guys left and returned and then the chaos started.
“I was standing there talking with the guys then all of a sudden the British guys ran back throwing fists and as a result somebody passed away.”
Carnrite claims he’s the “fall guy” for the incident because he has a criminal record.
“Why would I be the only one charged? Why am I the only guy sitting in jail?” he said. “They got no proof or no evidence of anything … No weapon’s been seized.”
Carnrite has admitted to being a drug addict. He’s been in and out of the justice system for 19 years and his record includes multiple violent crimes, including robbery and drug offences.
Carnrite said he doesn’t know the names of the other men who were in the fight but he would know them if he saw them.
“The guys that were in the altercation are pointing their fingers at me,” he said.
Carnrite’s case is schedule to return to the Ontario Court of Justice on Monday.
Carnrite said his lawyer is Denis Lowry.
Mr. Firth is survived by his wife, his 11-year-old daughter, Amelia Jane, and his eight-year-old son, William Henry.
Mr. Firth and Bowers were fishing at a lake about 30 kilometres outside of Peterborough. They arrived on Aug. 15 and were scheduled to return home today.
Dave Richards, who states he was a friend of Mr. Firth, emailed The Examiner when he learned about the incident.
“I will tell you that he worked very hard to keep his family happy and would be more than happy to help anyone out,” Richards states. “No way did he deserve this. He liked to drink with his mates and was always the first one to share a good joke.”
TOURIST KILLED: Man charged in fight speaks out
Posted By BRENDAN WEDLEY/Examiner Staff Writer
A man charged in connection with a fight that led to the death of an English visitor on Tuesday says he’s the “fall guy” and he was panhandling at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Lawrence Carnrite, 39, spoke to The Examiner in a telephone interview yesterday from the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay. He was arrested on Wednesday and charged with assault with a weapon.
Carnrite was allegedly involved in a fight between two English visitors and a group of men in the Chambers St. municipal parking lot on Hunter St. in Peterborough early Monday morning.
One of the English visitors, Stuart Firth, 42, died at a Kingston hospital on Tuesday from head injuries he suffered in the fight.
His friend, 38-year-old Tim Bowers, also from Leeds, England, was treated for minor injuries and released early Monday morning.
Carnrite allegedly hit Bowers with a “hard impact weapon, similar to a metal bar.”
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Police haven’t yet laid charges in connection with the homicide.
Carnrite denies that he hit either Bowers or Firth.
“I am not guilty,” he said. “(I was) panhandling at the wrong place at the wrong time and some guys got into a fight and I got charged with assault with a weapon.
“They’re threatening to charge me with manslaughter.”
Multiple sources have told The Examiner that they saw the homicide victim and Bowers at the Historic Red Dog bar on Hunter St. during last call on Monday morning.
The Chambers St. parking lot is across the street from the Red Dog.
At about 2:20 a.m. on Monday, Mr. Firth and Bowers got into a fight with a group of men in the parking lot, west of George St., city police state.
Mr. Firth was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre, then airlifted to a Kingston hospital, where he died the next day.
Anne Firth arrived in Kingston from Leeds before her husband died.
“From what I can gather, Stuart and Tim were trying to stop a fight,” she said earlier this week. “Stuart and Tim didn’t cause a fight … they were helping a local boy called John, I think.”
Firth added that the police know “the other three” people who were involved in the fight in addition to Carnrite.
Carnrite said he was panhandling on Hunter St. on Monday morning.
“I was panhandling off the guys that were in the fight,” he said. “The British guys left and returned and then the chaos started.
“I was standing there talking with the guys then all of a sudden the British guys ran back throwing fists and as a result somebody passed away.”
Carnrite claims he’s the “fall guy” for the incident because he has a criminal record.
“Why would I be the only one charged? Why am I the only guy sitting in jail?” he said. “They got no proof or no evidence of anything … No weapon’s been seized.”
Carnrite has admitted to being a drug addict. He’s been in and out of the justice system for 19 years and his record includes multiple violent crimes, including robbery and drug offences.
Carnrite said he doesn’t know the names of the other men who were in the fight but he would know them if he saw them.
“The guys that were in the altercation are pointing their fingers at me,” he said.
Carnrite’s case is schedule to return to the Ontario Court of Justice on Monday.
Carnrite said his lawyer is Denis Lowry.
Mr. Firth is survived by his wife, his 11-year-old daughter, Amelia Jane, and his eight-year-old son, William Henry.
Mr. Firth and Bowers were fishing at a lake about 30 kilometres outside of Peterborough. They arrived on Aug. 15 and were scheduled to return home today.
Dave Richards, who states he was a friend of Mr. Firth, emailed The Examiner when he learned about the incident.
“I will tell you that he worked very hard to keep his family happy and would be more than happy to help anyone out,” Richards states. “No way did he deserve this. He liked to drink with his mates and was always the first one to share a good joke.”