Man found guilty in Winnipeg restaurateur’s killing sentenced to 7 years

A Winnipeg man found guilty in the 2024 killing of a local restauranteur has been handed a 7-year sentence.

The Winnipeg man found guilty in the 2024 killing of a local restaurateur in a deadly parking lot brawl has been handed a seven-year sentence.

At a hearing Thursday, Court of King’s Bench Justice Sadie Bond sentenced Curtis Dalebozik, 40, to seven years for manslaughter in connection with the death of Kyriakos Vogiatzakis and a concurrent 60-day sentence for uttering threats.

“No sentence I impose will make those who knew and loved Mr. Vogiatzakis whole again,” Justice Bond said.

“The loss of Mr. Vogiatzakis’ life is senseless and devastating for his family.”

Dalebozik was found guilty in February for manslaughter and uttering threats in connection with the killing of Vogiatzakis, the 51-year-old owner of the Cork and Flame restaurant.

Court heard Dalebozik was living a solitary life in a nearby motel at the time of the fight on Jan. 24, 2026.

Though he once maintained employment and a relationship with his partner and two daughters, he was then without work, friends or companionship, being primarily supported by employment and income assistance benefits, Justice Bond said.

He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2021 and had difficulty accessing medication to treat his illness. He also lived with substance use disorder.

‘He went too far, much too far’

Justice Bond told court that surveillance footage entered into evidence showed Dalebozik walking into Cork and Flame’s Portage Avenue parking lot that evening when Vogiatzakis drove up in his vehicle.

A tense exchange ensued with both men clenching their fists, court heard, appearing as though Vogiatzakis objected to Dalbeozik’s presence in the lot, though the footage had no audio.

It then escalated to a physical altercation, Justice Bond recounted, with punches and pushing from both men.

After a push from Dalebozik, Vogiatzakis fell to the ground, Justice Bond said, with the accused striking the restaurant owner in a series of “forceful blows” to his torso and head.

Justice Bond said it became clear during the attack that Vogiatzakis could no longer fight back, having lost consciousness, but Dalebozik continued to assault him.

She noted the combination of the number and force of knee strikes, the compression of Vogiatzakis’ chest, his obvious incapacitation and the kicks to his head made life-threatening injury objectively foreseeable.

“Whatever the genesis of the dispute, he was in an argument with Mr. Vogiatzakis that became a physical fight and in defending himself, he went too far, much too far,” Justice Bond said.

Accused urged to use remaining sentence to ‘stabilize himself’

Justice Bond told court the defence’s request for a three or four-year sentence was insufficient and the prosecution’s push for 10 years was inconsistent with the principle of restraint.

Justice Bond said her sentence was required to be proportional and take into account both mitigating and aggravating factors, as well as Dalebozik’s “somewhat lengthy” prior criminal record, which included convictions beginning in 2010 for failing to comply with bail conditions, dangerous and impaired driving and resisting arrest, though Justice Bond said it did not show a pattern of serious violent convictions.

She noted Dalebozik had expressed remorse and offered condolences to Vogiatzakis’ family, which suggests some prospect of rehabilitation.

“That’s a lengthy sentence,” Justice Bond said, addressing Dalebozik. “You’re going to have to use the rest of your time in custody to stabilize yourself so that you don’t end up back here.”

Dalebozik was also credited for time served. His remaining sentence is about three-and-a-half more years.

With files from CTV’s Joseph Bernacki