Man accused of pushing ex-girlfriend off balcony charged with manslaughter, to be released on bail

New manslaughter charges were laid after a woman was allegedly thrown from a third-floor balcony on New Year's Day.

A Montreal-area man has been charged with manslaughter after he allegedly pushed his ex-girlfriend off a balcony on New Year’s Day.

The 31-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries in hospital three days after she fell three storeys from an apartment building on Ste-Catherine Street East at the corner of Jeanne D’Arc Avenue in Montreal’s Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.

The accused, James Theramene, 31, of Laval, was initially charged with aggravated assault, but the charge was upgraded to manslaughter during a court appearance on Thursday.

The woman’s family stormed out of the courtroom after the Crown prosecutor agreed to Theramene’s release on bail.

He was released on a $5,000 bond and must follow several conditions while on bail. The judge said he must reside at home under a curfew and surrender his passport, he cannot attend his old address, and cannot communicate with the victim’s family. He is also banned from possessing any weapons and must attend anger management therapy.

His next court date is March 13.

The woman’s killing marked Montreal’s first homicide of 2026.

With files from CTV News’ Stephane Giroux