THERE’S SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG with our
drunk driving laws. The man who ran a red light and slammed into the marked
cruiser of a Langford, B.C. RCMP constable, killing her, has been granted a
six-month day parole two years into his sentence.
Kenneth Fenton was given four years in prison
after his conviction in July 2017 for impaired driving causing death. That in
itself is a disturbingly light sentence, but being granted a day parole is
adding insult to injury.
His actions took the life of Sarah Beckett, a
32-year-old mother of two. The Parole Board of Canada decided it’s OK for
Fenton to be out of jail if he doesn’t do drugs or drink and doesn’t drive.
The rationale for day parole is that if the
inmate takes part in the community, he or she is better prepared for full
parole. Beckett’s husband Brad Aschenbrenner is understandably unhappy, both
with the parole and with the four-year sentence.
To quote Aschenbrenner: “There’s something
wrong here, and it’s not right, and it has to get fixed.”
The judge who sentenced Fenton said he was
guided by other sentences given those convicted of drunk driving causing death.
Each year in B.C., about 68 people are killed
in motor vehicle accidents involving impaired driving. Our legal system
provides for much greater penalties.
A common refrain is, “no amount of jail
time can bring back the person who was killed.” But aren’t victims and
their families entitled to a reasonable level of reprisal?
Our justice system is based on the honorable
premise that everyone can be rehabilitated and that everything should be done
to achieve that. But the Sarah Beckett case makes you think we need less
rehabilitation and a lot more punishment in our system.
I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops
and newspaper editor. He publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is
a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached
at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
This post was originally published in CFJC Today ... Everything Kamloops
This post was originally published in CFJC Today ... Everything Kamloops
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