Assault charges against men at Miltons Restaurant in Kitchener briefly addressed in court

KITCHENER - The case of two men charged with assaulting a customer at Miltons Restaurant in Kitchener in November was briefly addressed in court on Tuesday.

Athanasios Gianopoulos, 53, and Louis Gianopoulos, 54, both of Kitchener, were not required to attend but were represented by legal counsel.

Renee Paterson, a paralegal for Kitchener defence lawyer Brennan Smart, spoke to Louis Gianopoulos' charges.

Defence lawyer Andrew Bond represented Athanasios Gianopoulos.

We're still in discussions with the Crown about the file," Bond told a justice of the peace.

The case returns to court on May 10.

The pair are charged with assaulting a Kitchener man, Justin Leckie, 32, on the night of Nov. 10.

A video shows Leckie and his service dog, Epi, being forcefully removed from the restaurant on King Street East near Fairway Road South.

Two men are seen pushing Leckie, bringing him to the floor and, at times, holding his feet as if to drag him out.

One of the men threatens to kick Leckie in the head. In addition to assault, Louis Gianopoulos is also charged with uttering threats.

Leckie has Asperger's - a form of autism - along with obsessive-compulsive disorder and an anxiety disorder and is subject to bouts of depression and panic attacks. He had stopped in for wings at Miltons.

With files from Record staff

Gordon Paul is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on crime for The Record. Reach him via email: gpaul@therecord.com