A London courtroom heard on Thursday how the lifeless body of Matthew Harp, 39, was found in a pool of blood at a wooded area behind Mildred Barons Park in east London on Sept. 20, 2024. In an agreed statement of facts the court was told that Harp showed up to the homeless encampment with two other males armed with a loaded shotgun and a pistol. They had intended to rob the occupants of fentanyl. After they arrived there was an altercation and fighting going on with the accused Broady Salmon, 31, trying to defend himself and his girlfriend. At one point Salmon thought his girlfriend had been hurt and he saw Harp on the ground. “The accused struck the victim on his head multiple times with a metal pole and Mr. Harp died as a result,” said Crown attorney John Lee, reading from the statement. The next day Salmon would call London police and give himself up claiming that Harp’s friends were threatening him. In her victim impact statement, Harp’s mother, Darlene, told the court, “There are no words powerful enough to express the pain of losing a son...a grief that will live with me for the rest of my life.” Before Justice Alissa Mitchell, Salmon who was originally charged with second degree murder plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter along with one count of possession of fentanyl. Despite the violence involved in the death of Harp, Justice Mitchell agreed with both the Crown and the defence that this was a case of provocation. That’s why in a submission both sides agree to a sentence of four years with the judge agreeing, “Mr. Salmon’s conduct in the death of Mr. Harp was provoked... the accused had believed that the victim had assaulted his girlfriend.” With credit for time served, Salmon who had a troubled upbringing has about 21 months left behind bars.
