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MADD Reaction to Purtill Sentence

Thursday, 20 September 2012 04:20

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is applauding the sentence handed out to Bonita Purtill on Wednesday. MADD officials from London were in the courtroom to watch the sentencing of Purtill. She received 6-years and 8-months, on top of time served pre-sentence for a drunk driving crash that killed 4-month-old Alex Fleming. Pauline Newton, Victim Service Volunteer with MADD London gave Heart FM her reaction. "I was pleased with what happened. The Crown Attorney did a wonderful job. I thought the judge was excellent. I'm very pleased with the 7-year sentence. It's at the top of the range, it's one of the higher sentences handed out." Typical sentences in fatal drunk driving cases has been in the 2-4-year range in recent years. Newton is hopeful this case will become case law prosecutors and judges will look at in the future. "Maybe the next impaired driver will also get 7-years, and then maybe we can get up to 8-years, or 10-years. We need to get rid of this 2-4-year business, which was just minimal for the crime committed." The longest sentence in Canadian history was 20-years and 6-months, given to Raymond Yellowknee in 2008, who crashed into a car killing a mother and her three young girls.

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