Hate crime victim wins civil lawsuit
Paul Morse
The Hamilton Spectator
(May 5, 2010)
A Hamilton businessman who was severely injured in what police described as a hate crime has won a civil lawsuit against his attacker.
Ronn Mattai was slashed numerous times in the face with a broken bottle by 19-year-old Michael Cordeiro in a Hamilton bar on Feb. 21, 2004. The injuries were so extreme that surgeons had to put more than 200 stitches into Mattai’s face to close the wounds. Cordeiro was sentenced to two years in jail for his attack on the gay businessman.
Yesterday, Superior Court Justice Richard Lococo ruled that Cordeiro must pay Mattai just over $73,000 in damages and legal costs for assaulting the former co-owner of the Junction Cafe.
Mattai’s lawyer Devon Kinch said his client did not want to speak publicly about the lawsuit. Kinch said the judge awarded his assessment of damages after oral arguments and that Cordeiro had chosen not to contest the lawsuit.
Cordeiro pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in late 2004. Court at the time heard that Mattai had left his Junction Cafe that night and stopped off for a drink with friends at the Absinthe bar on King Street East.
According to prosecutors, Mattai was lured into a coat check room by someone crying for help. Cordeiro grabbed Mattai and slashed him repeatedly in the face with a broken drink glass.
The trial heard that Cordeiro made homophobic comments after the attack.
In a simple handwritten decision yesterday, Lococo wrote: “For oral reasons given today, judgment is entered in favour of Mr. Ronn Mattai against Mr. Michael Cordeiro in the amount of $65,117.73. Mr. Mattai’s costs on a partial indemnity basis are fixed at $8,000 … payable by Mr. Cordeiro forthwith.”
Mattai had also sued the owners of Absinthe. Yesterday, the bar’s lawyer Harvey Klein said his client had long ago resolved the matter.
