After months of delays, Kenneth Jacob Fenton has plead guilty on two charges stemming from the collision that killed West Shore RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett in April of last year.
With members of BeckettB次元官网网址檚 family and some members of the West Shore RCMP detachment in attendance, Fenton plead guilty to counts of impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death Thursday morning in Western Communities Court in Colwood.
After proceedings, FentonB次元官网网址檚 lawyer, Dale Marshall, said he expects the other three charges, including failing to stop while being pursued by a peace officer, impaired care and control causing death and knowing or ought to have known that his care and control of a vehicle caused an accident resulting in death, to be dropped.
B次元官网网址淭he Crown has control over those charges and the Crown will deal with them after sentencing. I expect that that will be the end of the matter,B次元官网网址� Marshall said.
Dan McLaughlin, communications counsel with the B.C. prosecution service, also told reporters itB次元官网网址檚 likely the other charges will be dropped.
The guilty plea comes after months of delays in the case while the two sides continued negotiations.
B次元官网网址淭odayB次元官网网址檚 development is the result of resolution discussions which have been ongoing since an early stage in these proceedings,B次元官网网址� McLaughlin said.
BeckettB次元官网网址檚 family members didnB次元官网网址檛 issue a statement and requested privacy.
B次元官网网址淲e have kept them apprised of all the developments during the course of these negotiations,B次元官网网址� McLaughlin said.
A date for sentencing will be decided on June 6 in the Victoria courthouse downtown. Impaired driving causing death comes with a maximum charge of life in prison.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 important to realize, however, that sentencing decisions are based entirely upon the circumstances of the individual case, the relevant case law and the personal circumstances of the accused person,B次元官网网址� McLaughlin said. B次元官网网址淎 guilty plea is a factor to be considered when the court is assessing the appropriate sentence, to be sure.B次元官网网址�
Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton, whose son was killed in a July 2003 crash in View Royal involving an impaired driver, was also in attendance in support of the Beckett family.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been through stuff like this before and it takes a community effort to see them through this,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淓very day is one day forward and you find ways to find strength and carry on.B次元官网网址�
Beckett died in the early hours of April 5 at the intersection of Peatt Road and Goldstream Avenue in Langford, after her police cruiser was struck by a pickup truck.
