Huron Expositor, 1999-12-16, Page 152 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, O.O•mbor 1S, 1909
News
Crown seeks eight-year jail term,
defense seeks conditional sentence
from Page 1
dangers of impaired
driving. Justice Thomas
Granger of London will
hand down his, sentence on
Jan. 24. 2000 at I p.m; -
'"People scc mc as cold
.and•that 1 don't care," said
LcBeau. "They don't see
how I cry myself to sleep
at night..
"I wish I could change
the whole accident. 1 wish
l could remember what
happened." said LeBeau.
Court had to be
adjourned at one_ point to
allow LeBeau to gain her
composure. -
"Many times I wish i
was in heaven with my
friends." said LeBeau. 'I
wish I could bring them
hack." •
T. he 'hearing was a long.
emotional 'day for friends
and families of thc victims
as statements were read
-before the courtof the
impact this
r age d y
continues to
have on their
lives.
"We have
no hopes or
dreams left.
reads Joyce
Atchison's
statement.
Joyce is the
mother of
Neal. Since
•the accident.
she wrote
that neither.
her nor her.
husband.
Harvey have
had a full.
night's sleep.
"Our hearts
and our.
spirits are
' broken."
In .her
statement,
Joyce wrote
SorohleBeou
"This has shattered our
lives forever...There is no,
.comfort."
Choosing .10 read his
•statement before thc court.
Neal's father Harvey said
that Nov. 24, 1996 was the
"first day of the rest of his
life." He stated that he
woke up that day a "father
and ended it.a "broken
man."
• Neal was
an "excellent
athlete," said
Harvey.
adding that
his son had
been drafted
by the Los'
Angeles
Dodgers.
".We'.1I
never know
how far he
could have
gone.
Harvey
made noteof
the defense
-plan to '"Out
Neal o.n
trial."
•adding . it
was difficult
for he and
-his wife' to
sit through
court and
hear the
defense
Quoted
'The sentence
you impose
must serve as
a deterrent to
others. It would
be an injustice
if Sarah
receives a
sentence any
less than the
maximum
prescribed by
law,' --
from a statement by
the Hil family
that the couple no longer
celebrates, holidays and
they continue to visit the
cemetery where Neal is
'buried every week. She
also Wrote that it is very
painful for them to hear of
:veal's . friends,
accomplishments.
"it is so very painful for
us." she wrote. "We will.
never be grandparents."
The first traumatic weeks-
after
eeksafter the accident. "we
talked seriously 'about
taking our own .lives."
ending the painful lives
they have had without
Neal;the Atchison's only
child.
blame this •
tragedy on their son..
When LeBeau was found
guilty in October. Harvey
said he and his wife felt
Neal had been
"vindicated."
Looking at LeBeau.
Harvey stated .they had.
only wished LeBeau had
said, at some point. that
she was sorry.
A statement prepared by
the Hill family •described
Brian Hill as a "kind.
gentle young man" whom
they 'were. "extremely
prouti of. •
Th &entence_. you
impose•must serve as.a
deterrent to others. it
would be an injustice if
Sarah receives a sentence
any less than the maximum
prescribed by law," the
statement said.
PamelaKing was
described by her family as
a "very energetic.. lovely
young woman", who
"accomplished much in her
short life.
"We can't help but think
what could have been."
their statement said. Her
mother wrote that she•not
only lost a daughter. hut
her best friend, and sister
she never had. '
• "Unlessyou burya child.
you will have no way of
knowing how this feels."
thc King statement said.
-Bart Postma, King's
boyfriend at the time of the
accident, wrote that losing
Pam was the "most
devastating experience of
his Iife...She was gone and
she. left in
the most
horri f1c
way."
A • n
engagement
a n ' d
wedding
ring he
-bought for
her before.
.the accident
were placed
in the casket
with her. He
wrote he.
never had
the: chance
to ask her to
marry him. -
T h ,e
.Webster
family
wrote that
their family
life has
b e e n.
"shattered"
since Mark
his parents wrote that the
two survivors face a future
of years of rehabilitation.
counselling and surgeries.
"Sarah has already
suffered more than anyone
could ever imagine." the
Gardner statement said.
adding that this suffering
will continue to plague her.
for the rest of her life. .
"What good could come
from sending this young
woman to prison'?." they
wrote, suggesting that
having her do community
service would he a more
appropriate punishment.
"She is not a threat to
society,
In Corey's sub -missions,
a more "creative" sentence
may give the courts an
opportunity to address 'the
real societal prohlem.of
drinking and driving by
using LeBeau to speak to
youth about. -what this has'
done -to her life. •
• Carey later
added that
there is
nothing, to
indicate
LeBeau'is stn
alcohol abuser
or -that he
had a- problem
with alcohol
at the:time of
the accident
and he said it
is unlikely she
will ever be a
r e p e, a.t
,offender. .
T h .e
emotidnaI
.impact on her
and het' family
.-iS the most
-significant
,punishment of
all." he said.
adding that
she has and
will continue
to +'see_ -the
Quoted
'People see me
as cold and
that I don't
care. They don't
see how i cry
myself to sleep
at night. I wish I
could change
the whole
accident. I wish
I could
remember
what
happened,' --
Sarah L.dsau
died.
Mark was described as
someone who.liked to have
fun and - looked for
adventure.
Mark was to leave -on a
trip to Australia with Brian
.Hill shortly after the
accident occurred.
."Due to the loss ofrMark
Robert Webster this family
will never be the sane."
Brandon Gardner's
career -as a deep sea diver
came to an "abrupt end" as
a result of this accident.
his parents wrote in a
statement.
Both Gardner and
LeBeau were -seriously---
- injured in the accident and
Laces of •the
victims before her forever:
"This is: a very' heavy
punishment. more than any
court_ could .impose." said
. Carey.
' In Morass's -submissions.
.he stated that the long-term
impact of LeBeau's
offenses,
"immeasurable." He noted
that the families of the
victims _will continue. to
suffer emotional trauma
and the impact of this
Police presence at meeting
not an extraordinary request.
The close to 300 people
attending last Tuesday's
Meeting of the Avon
Maitland District School
Board had to Walk past
two police cruisers parked
at Seaforth District High.
School's entrance and -then
past two officers in the
school's hallway. on the
way to the meeting.
• Board chair ; Wendy
Anderson said the police
were called for reasons of
-- ---, �ttaftic_control because two
buses of parents - were
expected from Stratford
for the meeting:
"We were anticipating
large numbers and it's (the
high school is)' not really
an accessible spot." she
said.'
But having them there
upset some at the meeting
who could see no reason
for their presence. .
-This followed a police
presence at .a Nov. 23
hoard .meeting where OPP
were • called when
Seaforth Mayor Dave
Scott d-isrl pted the
meeting demanding a right
to be heard since
delegations, were not given
an opportunity to speak
before a vote was made to
studs seven district
schools for closure. -
Prior to the Dec. 7
meeting. Anderson.said no
threats had been made to.
anyone's safety_
The board's media
relations officer Anne
Lake said the police were
at the meeting because of
issues of safety and crowd
control. She said the.
police have asked to.be.
people to call the OPP
• when there are situations
where large people will be
gathering that can lead to •
traffic trouble or .whe.n
groups of people with •
opposing views will be
coming together. •
He said the sight, of
police cars • can help •
reduce • the risk of '
something happening.. {
adding there can also be I
kept informed about the . police presence . at
need for their presence at situations like a teachers'
' .uf � t u re�boa�ti�Frfi�etillg s:--�`~~ federation-talky,-.._�..-._.•:_ _..,
"I don't see why. you However. Martin wasn't
have to make an issue of aware the officers had.
this.” she said: "It's .not gone inside the meeting as
unusual for the police to it was not part of the.
hent Targe gatherings of orginal req'uest. He
people. • It' happens • expected the officers
regularly at hockey would have been on patrol
games." in the area '_ but not
Huron . ' OPP Staff standing in the doorways
Sergeant Gary Martin as people entered the
confirmed the for an OPP meeting:
presence was because the • "Unless they got a
board was concerned further request at the
about the number of time," he said, otherwise,
people and he said they the call was just ,for
wanted police in the area officers to be in the area,
to avoid any "issues" that:
' He said having officers
might arise at the meeting. there could be "a little bit
"They just wanted intimidating to. some."
somebody'there. It wasn't By Susan Hunderrmark
an unusual request." he and Score Hilgendorff
said, adding he encourages
tragedy has extended to the
community.
Morris stated that
LeBeau did not plead
guilty in this case and
pointed the finger at Neal
Atchison.
"This defense tactic h,ls
been a.source of much
emotional distress and
turmoil to the parents to
Neal Atchison," said
Morris. "Sarah Le,Beau's
lack of remorse and. failure
to take responsihi1ity for
her 'conduct• make any •
proposal that she lecture
others on the evil: of
drinking and -.driving
disingenuous." Morris
added that she denies
being impaired and denies
heing'the driver at the time .
of the accident.
"The facts of..this case, ,
demand a sentence [hal.
reflects society's
abhorrence and intolerance
of Sarah LeBeau's
conduct.'" Morris stated.
ipl - fit{1,11. SF_AFORiII
D\\� h YI(11111F DBGI fO\ . .
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