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Reginald Durocher told Ryan Clark he was going to tell the cops the accused killer was breaching his release conditions.

Clark reportedly replied that he had “got away with it once; what makes you think I couldn’t again?” He then told Durocher to watch his back.

Three to five seconds later, Durocher got in his truck and slammed it into Clark, killing him.

Wanted to hurt Clark, not kill him

“It was not a decision, but more of a reaction,” defence lawyer Garth Bendig said, as per CBC News. His client wanted to hurt Clark, not kill him.

Clark allegedly murdered Durocher’s son during a melee in an RV at Christopher Lake, Saskatchewan, in 2016. He was convicted of second-degree murder in 2018, but the Supreme Court of Canada ordered a new trial in 2022.

The victim was out on bail at the time of his death and was breaching a slew of conditions, Bendig told the Court of King’s Bench in Prince Albert on Monday. Durocher, 68, was initially charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Smirking and smiling at victim’s daughter

On April 4, 2023, in the parking lot of Mr. T’s Liquor Store, about 165 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, around 8:30 p.m., the two men had their fateful encounter.

Prior to the deadly incident, Durocher’s granddaughter — the daughter of his dead son — called him sobbing. She was employed at the liquor store and told her granddad that Clark was in the store.

Smiling and smirking at her, court heard.

Breaching bail conditions

According to the conditions of his release, Clark was not allowed to have contact with Durocher’s family members, be in any drinking establishments or be near the Little Red River Reserve, about five kilometres from the liquor store.

Reginald Durocher drove to the liquor store and began following Clark until he was noticed. Clark then turned around and the pair confronted each other in the Mr. T parking lot.

Durocher told Clark, in an intense, heated conversation, that he was violating the conditions of his release. He demanded that Clark “stay away from his family” and said he intended to report him to the cops.

Clark died from blunt force trauma

At the time of his death, Clark was awaiting a new trial date.

Durocher then revved his truck, slamming into Clark and throwing him into a boulder in the parking lot. The tragedy was captured on CCTV. Clark died from blunt force trauma, suffering a brain hemorrhage, multiple broken bones and other injuries.

Durocher said at the time he was afraid and upset and struggled to breathe, his lawyer revealed, adding the killing was heat of the moment triggered by provocation.

‘I am sorry that I took a life’

The grandfather told the court: “I am very sorry that I took a life. I’m really sorry for it.”

Pre-sentencing submissions revealed that Durocher had been a victim of the Sixties Scoop, being taken from his parents at 18 months old. He grew up in foster care. His wife died in 2020 after suffering a stroke following their son Christopher’s murder.

Justice Richard Danyliuk sentenced Durocher to 10 years in prison, with orders for a DNA sample collection, a 10-year firearms prohibition and a lifetime ban on restricted firearms.

With credit for time served, Durocher has four and a half years left on his sentence.

bhunter@postmedia.com

@HunterTOSun