Steven Antone was amped up after he had stomped on James Willits’ head a couple times, causing fatal brain injuries.

He later told witnesses he hurt Willits because “he talked (expletive) and I (expletive) him up.”

This was after the violence inside Willits’ London apartment on March 2, 2015, and after Antone had helped himself to Willit’s girlfriend’s cellphone, $50 and some of Willits’ clothing.

Within hours, Willits, 29, died in hospital and Antone, 24, was on the run.

He was arrested a month later and charged with second-degree murder, along with his older friends Travis Chrisjohn, 32, and Brandon Nichols, 36. The three men had confronted Willits over an alleged stolen pill at the Base Line Road apartment.

On Wednesday, Antone, appearing in the prisoner’s box more like a studious student than a drugged-out attacker, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.

Nichols’ charges were dropped after a preliminary hearing a year ago. Chrisjohn was sentenced to time served in January after pleading guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated assault.

It’s Antone’s violence that appears to have been deadly, and for no apparent reason other than to be part of a makeshift intimidation campaign against Willits.

Assistant Crown attorney James Spangenberg told Superior Court Justice Johanne Morissette that Antone, Chrisjohn, Nichols and others had been at Willits’ apartment for a long drug party at about 6 a.m. The men left for another apartment down the hall.

Then a conversation on Facebook began in which Nichols accused Willits of stealing a pill. Willits invited him to come back to the apartment to talk about it.

A couple of hours later, Nichols, Chrisjohn and Antone were at Willits’s door. Antone was particularly excited and bouncing around, excited to play backup and telling witnesses before heading down the hall, “Let’s (expletive) do it. Let’s (expletive) do it.”

Willits answered the door with a small baseball bat in his hand. The men questioned him and Willits placed the bat on the floor.

Spangenberg said that’s when Antone pounced. Antone punched Willits in the face, and Willits fell to the floor.

“Antone then stomped twice on Willits’ head while he was lying on the floor,” Spangenberg said.

All of the participants were high on drugs and witnesses at the preliminary hearing had memory issues, Spangenberg cautioned. But all agreed it was Antone who did the stomping.

After Willits was injured, Antone rummaged though Willits’ girlfriend’s purse and took her cellphone and $50. He filled a backpack with Willits’ clothing.

He left with Chrisjohn briefly, then returned with the empty backpack.

Willits’ girlfriend and Nichols got Willits on a bed in the living room. Chrisjohn came back and asked Willits, “Should I give you another shot, or should I stab you?”

Witnesses said they heard Willits cry out in pain. No one witnessed what Chrisjohn did.

Chrisjohn warned Nichols and Willits’ girlfriend not to tell anyone. Later, the girlfriend would initially lie to the police and say someone had tried to rob them.

After the men left, Willits’ condition worsened and a call was made to 911 for help. He was taken to hospital where it was discovered he had a brain bleed and a fractured skull that needed surgery. He suffered a brain stem stroke and died.

A pathologist couldn’t determine if early intervention could have saved Willits. He also couldn’t say which blow caused the fatal injury.

Antone was arrested a month after Willits’ death. His criminal record was made an exhibit at the guilty plea hearing. He is in custody.

Antone’s lawyer, Gordon Cudmore, asked that a Gladue report, a specialized pre-sentence report for aboriginal offenders, be prepared.

That usually takes at least three months.

An update on the progress of the report will be made on May 25 when Antone’s sentencing date is likely to be set.

jsims@postmedia.com

twitter.com/JaneatLFPress