HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2017-01-11, Page 12Justine Alkema/Clinton News Record
The building on Albert Street that suffered a fire at the end of August; this photo was taken shortly
after the fire.
Fate of historic Albert St. building in limbo
Justine Alkema
Clinton News Record
Progressions have been
few and far between regard-
ing the historic building on
Albert Street just north of the
Highways 4 and 8 intersec-
tion in Clinton. The down-
town building suffered three
consecutive fires late last
August.
No decision has vet been
made on the fate of the
building, although the fence
blocking the sidewalk will be
removed in the near future,
said Central Huron Clerk
Brenda McIsaac. -
The fencing can be moved
as the front of the building
has been secured; the side-
walk was fenced off as parts
of the front of the building
were deemed too unstable,
possibly putting pedestrians
walking by at risk. However
those remedial repairs have
been completed.
Of concern now, as has
been from the start, is the
damaged roof's ability or
lack thereof to handle heavy
snow.
The issue is in the hands of
the building owners and
insurance companies who
are still working through
legal issues regarding the
fire. One reason the issue
has been prolonged is due to
the arson investigation.
Wednesday. January 11 2017 • Signal Star 13 •
An Ethiopian. Christmas in,Clinton
Multicultural
Association
Perth -Huron
.ksfine
Last week, members from the Multicultural Association of Perth Huron made their way to
Clinton to celebrate Christmas with Clinton residents Ali Mohamud and his family. The family
recently moved from Ethiopia where Christmas is celebrated in January. Members from the
Multicultural Association came bearing gifts from the Toys for Tots program. Pictured here is the
family in their home with Multicultural Association President and Founder Dr. Geza Wordofa.
Ronald Ward's conviction on second-degree murder reduced to manslaughter
Ontario's highest court has over-
turned the murder conviction of a
Wingham man found guilty five
years ago of second-degree mur-
der, setting him free.
Ronald Ward was convicted
instead of manslaughter after the
Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that
there were errors in the judge's
instructions to the jury at the trial
in the death of Scott Hayes on Feb.
12, 2010.
His life sentence, with no chance
of parole for 12 years, was reduced
to time served or about seven years
when factoring in his pre-trial
custody.
Ward, 33, was convicted by a
London jury in September 2011
after his case was moved from
Huron County to the Middlesex
County courthouse because of the
damage caused to the town square
and the courthouse during the
2010 Goderich tornado.
After Ward's trial, Hayes' death
was considered to be the first mur-
der in Wingham since the police
department was established in
1879.
With the appeal, the Huron
County town once again has a
clean slate.
Ward had maintained throughout
the trial that the death was acciden-
tal, but it was clear there was bad
blood between Hayes and the Ward
brothers over Hayes' girlfriend who is
the mother of his children.
Hayes had gone to jail for a 2006
punch-up with Ward's brother over
the woman.
In early 2010 and just weeks after
Hayes was out of jail, Ward's
brother had kissed the woman
while driving her home from a
stag -and -doe. She had been at the
party with Hayes even though they
were under a court order not to
associate with each other.
The woman confessed to Hayes,
who then challenged Ward's
brother to meet in the parking lot
behind a downtown business.
Ward was asked by his brother to
watch his back.
The fight was on when Ward
showed up in the parking lot with
two teenaged passengers. He could
see his brother was cowering and
Hayes was punching.
Ward fishtailed on the slippery,
snow-covered surface in the park-
ing lot, straightened, accelerated,
and then braked. He struck Hayes,
pushing him into the wall of the
business. Hayesdied of skull frac-
tures and a torn brain stem.
After pinning him to the wall,
Ward got out of the truck and
walked over to Hayes but didn't
offer any assistance. He drove off
with his brother and two passen-
gers and prevented one of them
from calling 911.
He was arrested several dars
later in Thunder Bay.
Ward'had maintained during the
trial that the whole incident was an
accident. The appeal court said that
"there was no realistic prospect of a
not guilty verdict" based on that
assertion.
However, the judge's instructions
"did not adequately equip the jury
to determine the nature and extent
of the appellant's liability for the
death of Scott Hayes," the court
said.
The jury was supposed to decide
whether the unlawful killing was
osenc si4nalstar.co
murder or manslaughter.
By law, an accident is an unin-
tended act. The appeal court said
Ward committed two unlawful acts
by assaulting Hayes with the truck
and by driving dangerously.
The judge, the court said, erred
by not explaining what an accident
was under the law.
The jury also was told that it
could use after -the -fact conduct
when considering if the death was
an accident. A further error was
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made when the judge instructed
the fault element required for a
murder conviction.
All those errors stopped the jury
deciding if the Crown "had estab-
lished the fault element required
for conviction of second-degree
murder," the court said.
"We are satisfied that, although
the appellant was not properly
convicted of second-degree mur-
der, he was properly convicted of
manslaughter"
OFFICE HOURS
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the Goderich Signal Star are as follows
Monday - 8 am - 5 pm
Tuesday -Sam-5pm
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Thursday - 8 am - 5 pm
Friday -8am-4 pm
Goderich
final -Star
120 Nuckins Street.. Goderich. ON N7A 3X8
519-524-2614
www.goderichsignalstar.com
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