Manslaughter Charge in Hockey Death

July 10 -- A hockey father accused in the beating death of another hockey dad at a youth game pleaded innocent today to a manslaughter charge.

Thomas Junta, 42, of Reading, Mass. was charged with manslaughter for allegedly beating 40-year-old Michael Costin of nearby Lynnfield unconscious on Wednesday in a dispute over rough play in a youth hockey game.

Costin was declared brain dead Thursday and removed from a ventilator Friday.

Junta turned himself in to police just hours before his Woburn District Court arraignment.

“I would only say that when a man has tears in his eyes he’s very remorseful and upset at what’s going on,” defense attorney Thomas Orlandi said about Junta.

Orlandi said that when all the facts about this case come out, his client will be found not guilty.  

Junta has been released on $5,000 cash bail raisedby his family.

A Stunned Community

At a rink near Boston last week, Costin had been out on the ice with a group of youngsters, including his three sons and Junta’s son.

The hockey game was supposed to be non-contact, but police say Junta got agitated when things got rough and some of the players engaged in checking.

Junta and Costin began arguing with each other. A rink manager threw Junta out, but police say he returned and beat Costin unconscious

People in the area can’t believe what happened. Investigators say it was simply a hockey scrimmage, sort of a pick-up game, that turned fatal.

“It certainly [is], at the very least, an incredibly unfortunate circumstance, where at a sporting event, in front of children, there was a fight that ensued and someone is dead as a result of it,” Middlesex County District Attorney Martha Coakley said.

Defense attorney Orlandi said Junta is very upset over Costin’s death.

“This is a terrible, terrible tragedy for all of the families involved in this sports incident. Our deepest sympathies go out to the Costin family,” Orlandi said.