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A 59-year-old Hamilton man faces 25 charges including manslaughter in the death of his mother in the spring.
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Hamilton Police said in a release on Thursday that they were called to a Hamilton Mountain residence on May 31 after the accused allegedly attacked several family members.
During the course of their investigation, officers learned that the same man had allegedly attacked his 86-year old mother on May 25 and that Milka Spanovic was still in hospital at that time being treated for her injuries.
Gojko Spanovic was arrested on May 31 and charged with several criminal offences for the alleged attack on his mom including aggravated assault. Police said he was on two separate release orders at the time for alleged offences committed against members of his family earlier in the year.
Milka Spanovic remained in hospital and died on June 6, at which time the Homicide Unit took over the case. Her obituary published in the Hamilton Spectator said she was the “beloved wife of 61 years to Drago” and called her “a loving and caring mother and grandmother” who “will be dearly missed by all her extended family and friends.”
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In the police statement, they said that on Oct. 9 “the Homicide Unit received the necessary documentation from the Ontario Forensic Pathology Unit in Toronto linking Mrs. Spanovic’s death to injuries sustained in this incident.”
Gojko Spanovic’s aggravated assault charge has now been upgraded to manslaughter.
In addition to manslaughter, Gojko Spanovic faces numerous other charges in relation to the three alleged incidents this year involving his family: Seven counts of fail to comply with conditions of a release order, four counts each of assault and fail to comply with conditions of an undertaking, two counts each of assault with a weapon, assault (choking), threaten death, and mischief damaging property under $5,000, and one count of forcible confinement.
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