When a fight turns deadly: Windsor man on trial for death of father of 4

Ryan Taylor murder trial A trial is underway in the death of a Windsor father in September 2020. CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske explains.

WARNING: The details in this story may be disturbing to some readers

Ryan Taylor, 35, has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of second-degree murder for the death of 38-year-old Thomas “TJ” McIntyre.

A jury of five women and seven men learned Wednesday the broad strokes of the prosecution’s case against Taylor.

 

Previous history

Assistant Crown Attorney Andrew Telford-Keogh told the jury the two men had a “confrontational history,” but in the weeks before the fight had agreed to a “mutual willingness to squash that negativity.”

A story of two fights

On Sept. 22, 2020 the jury learned Taylor was at a bar on Seminole Street where he got into a fight with another man.

Other patrons at the bar broke the fight up before McIntyre arrived at the bar. The victim and accused had no contact inside the establishment, the jury learned.

Taylor was ultimately asked to leave the bar by the bartender. He left and walked east on Seminole Street.

Shortly after, McIntyre exited the bar as well and walked in the same direction. It was now the early morning hours of Sept. 23, 2020.

Video evidence

Telford-Keogh told the jury they will see surveillance video from the bar and a nearby convenience store.

“This video depicts, at a point, Mr. McIntyre running eastward in Mr. Taylor’s direction,” Telford-Keogh told the jury.

The Crown alleges the video will show the two men “go to the ground” at the intersection of Seminole Street and Tourangeau Road.

At this point, the prosecution said Taylor was straddling McIntrye and striking him in the head.

“After approximately 16 seconds you will see Mr. Taylor get up and walk away. Mr. McIntrye remains on the ground,” Telford-Keogh told the jury.

 

Anticipated witnesses

Telford-Keogh said he will be calling witnesses who saw the fight, including a woman who saw the two men yelling.

“She will tell you the male who was taken to the ground fell on his back,” Telford-Keogh said. “She will tell you the head of the male was bouncing off the sidewalk.”

The witness, according to Telford-Keogh, will also tell the jury about the exact number of punches she observed.

Telford-Keogh said he plans to call two forensic pathologists: one who performed the autopsy on McIntrye and another who examined his brain after he died.

McIntrye, according to the Crown, died of blunt force trauma injuries to his brain.

The first witness

Telford-Keogh called Const. John LaSorda to the stand as the first witness. At the time of the incident, LaSorda was working as a forensic identification officer.

He was tasked with collecting evidence of a “serious assault.”

LaSorda first went to the emergency department at Windsor Regional Hospital where McIntrye was being treated. Although he was conscious, the officer described McIntyre as “lethargic” and he offered “delayed” responses to his questions.

LaSorda took pictures of injuries to McIntyre’s right hand and face, which included bleeding and bruises on his mouth, forehead and left ear.

The officer then went to the crime scene to take pictures there before concluding at police headquarters where Taylor was being processed in the detention unit.

LaSorda took pictures of injuries to Taylor’s head, forehead and right hand.

LaSorda’s evidence will continue Thursday.

According to his obituary, McIntrye leaves behind four children.