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'It was a frightening loss of control,' son confesses to the death of his mother

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Windsor, Ont. -

A 35-year-old Windsor man was sentenced to 10 years after pleading guilty to an assault, which lead to the death of his 64-year-old mother.

Alexander Mackenzie was originally charged with first-degree murder after Windsor police responded to a residence on Mill Street in July 2019.

The death of Catherine Mackenzie was the city's third homicide of that year.

On Wednesday, court heard the mother and son had a rocky relationship and her death was a result of a heart condition, triggered by a concussion from the beating.

Justice Bruce Thomas noted Mackenzie had a previous record of crimes resulting from drug and alcohol abuse, and that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

MacKenzie’s lawyer, Frank Miller, said during his time in jail his client had been trying to turn his life around.

“He has made a decision to take another way in life to get an education and move forward that way and abstain from alcohol,” Miller said.

“Ms. MacKenzie did not deserve this,” said assistant Crown Attorney Jennifer Holmes.

However, Holmes recognized Mackenzie’s remorse, “It was a ghastly case that Mackenzie will have to live with.”

As a result, Justice Thompson agreed to to a reduced charge of manslaughter and the joint sentencing submission of time served reducing the remaining jail time for Mackenzie to six years.

Thompson also noted Mackenzie’s remorse and his desire to maintain sobriety.

As part of the sentence Mackenzie must give a sample of his DNA and was given a lifetime ban of firearms.

Before sentencing, Mackenzie apologized for his actions.

“It was a frightening loss of control,” he said.

He added he remains haunted by what happened.

“I still love my mom and hope that one day I can forgive myself.”

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