Tributes for 'Gentle Giant' After Fatal Toronto Assault
The family and friends of a British expatriate are mourning his tragic death after an alleged street assault in downtown Toronto. Luke Daniel Kellett-Smith, 34, originally from Woking in Surrey, succumbed to his injuries on New Year's Eve after a violent confrontation in the early hours of December 28.
Details of the Downtown Confrontation
According to the Toronto Police Service, the altercation occurred near the junction of Front Street West and University Avenue. Luke became involved in a heated argument with another man, identified as 30-year-old Benard Emeka Oneh from Richmond Hill.
Police allege that during the row, Oneh struck Luke with an initial blow that sent him to the ground. When Luke managed to get back to his feet, he was allegedly assaulted again, an attack that caused him to lose consciousness. The suspect is accused of fleeing the scene before emergency services arrived.
Luke was rushed to hospital and placed on life support but died on December 31. Benard Emeka Oneh was initially charged with aggravated assault, but this was upgraded to manslaughter following Luke's death. He appeared in court on January 5. Authorities have stated it is not known whether the two men were previously acquainted.
A Life Full of Adventure Cut Short
Luke had been building a new life in Canada since moving to Toronto in 2019. His close friend, Jack Elton, described him as someone who lived life to the fullest. 'Luke truly loved life and lived it to the fullest, making friends and connections everywhere he went,' Elton said. 'Whether you knew him for five minutes or for five years, Luke left a lasting impression.'
Standing at an imposing 6'5", Luke was remembered as a 'gentle giant'—kind, warm, and full of life. His death has devastated a family already familiar with profound loss. Luke was the eldest of three brothers. His parents, Nick and Mariella Smith, have now lost two of their three sons.
A GoFundMe page organised by Jack Elton has been set up to support the family with the immense costs of repatriating Luke's body to the UK, alongside funeral expenses and grief support. 'Our goal is to help Luke's parents bring him home to Woking, where he can finally be laid to rest beside his brother James,' the page states.
Tributes have also come from the UK football community, with Horndean FC offering condolences after confirming that Luke's brother, Matt, plays for the club.
As the legal process continues in Canada, those who loved Luke are left to remember the man with a heart as big as his stature. 'Luke will be forever loved, forever missed, and never forgotten,' Jack Elton said.
