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TheStar.com - News - Killed deaf man, drunk driver gets 3 years
A Toronto man was sent to prison for three years today after being convicted of the drunk-driving death of a deaf great grandfather more than three years ago.
As Daniel Rouleau, 55, was led from the courtroom to begin serving his penitentiary sentence, there was applause from a dozen members of Laurie Landry's family who waited inside the small Brampton courtroom to see him placed in custody.
Just before he reached the prisoner's door, the bespectacled Rouleau turned and smirked at several family members, including Landry's daughter, Marie Wallis.
"We've waited so long for this," Wallis said outside the courtroom. "But how much time is he really doing to spend in prison? My father got a death sentence. Our family got a life sentence. So really, no amount of time was going to ever change that."
Moments earlier, Justice Nancy Mossip sentenced the long-time Campbells Soup employee to his prison sentence and added a 10-year driving prohibition that will begin when he's released.
Justice Mossip told the court that a penitentiary sentence was necessary to send a strong message to the community that you will "pay a severe penalty" — and that you will "lose your freedom" if you choose to drink and drive
"No sentence can ever compensate (the family)," Mossip told the court. " . . . the pain the family is still experiencing is as strong as it was three years ago."
Justice Mossip said from reading and listening to all of the victim impact statements previously submitted that she knew the family had "forever" been affected by the death of the man who was "clearly the centre of gravity" for their family.
"I publicallly want to say how sorry I am for the loss of the remarkable Laurie Landry," Justice Mossip said.
Landry, 72, died in hospital on Dec. 30, 2003, a few hours after being struck by a Dodge Dakota pickup being driven by Rouleau. Landry had just gotten off a Mississauga transit bus about 10:35 p.m. after volunteering at the Knights of Columbus bingo and was crossing Bloor St. when he was hit by Rouleau's vehicle.
Witnesses said Rouleau never stopped and, in fact, sped up as he continued driving. Police stopped him as he was entering the underground parking garage of his west Toronto apartment.
Court previously heard that Rouleau had been drinking from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Atrium Restaurant in Mississauga where he consumed at least nine bottles of beer. After being arrested, his blood alcohol was 201 milligrams in 100 millitres of blood — or more than twice the legal limit.
In pleading guilty earlier, Rouleau insisted that he never saw Landry and hit him when he swerved to avoid another vehicle. But he never stopped, and left Landry dying on the pavement.
Court heard that he also told his parole officer that he was remorseful for what had happened and had felt "helpless" since the tragic night.
Court previously heard that Rouleau has stopped drinking alcohol as a result of the accident. However, he was convicted of impaired driving in 1993 and of assaulting a daughter from a previous marriage.
Using sign language, Landry's widow Elizabeth, his elementary school sweetheart and wife of 46 years, said: "I'm upset. He should have been getting a lot more than three years."
Rouleau's estranged daughter, Mindy Parker, 27, who hasn't spoken to her father in seven years, supported the Landry family throughout their ordeal.
"For 27 years now, I've had to live with the fact that my father was a drunk driver," said Parker, whose mother Tammy also supported the Landry family. "He never cared about anybody but himself. He drove drunk with my younger sister and me in his car. He drove drunk when I was pregnant.
"Finally we have seen him pay for such a crime that has caused such devastation. We needed closure in our lives."
Landry's other daughter, Ruth Patenaude, 24, said the family expected Rouleau to say something to their family before being sentenced but he remained silent.
`My father might have been saved had he just stopped and called 911 but he didn't," she said. "Every second counts. Maybe something could have been done right away."
A Toronto man was sent to prison for three years today after being convicted of the drunk-driving death of a deaf great grandfather more than three years ago.
As Daniel Rouleau, 55, was led from the courtroom to begin serving his penitentiary sentence, there was applause from a dozen members of Laurie Landry's family who waited inside the small Brampton courtroom to see him placed in custody.
Just before he reached the prisoner's door, the bespectacled Rouleau turned and smirked at several family members, including Landry's daughter, Marie Wallis.
"We've waited so long for this," Wallis said outside the courtroom. "But how much time is he really doing to spend in prison? My father got a death sentence. Our family got a life sentence. So really, no amount of time was going to ever change that."
Moments earlier, Justice Nancy Mossip sentenced the long-time Campbells Soup employee to his prison sentence and added a 10-year driving prohibition that will begin when he's released.
Justice Mossip told the court that a penitentiary sentence was necessary to send a strong message to the community that you will "pay a severe penalty" — and that you will "lose your freedom" if you choose to drink and drive
"No sentence can ever compensate (the family)," Mossip told the court. " . . . the pain the family is still experiencing is as strong as it was three years ago."
Justice Mossip said from reading and listening to all of the victim impact statements previously submitted that she knew the family had "forever" been affected by the death of the man who was "clearly the centre of gravity" for their family.
"I publicallly want to say how sorry I am for the loss of the remarkable Laurie Landry," Justice Mossip said.
Landry, 72, died in hospital on Dec. 30, 2003, a few hours after being struck by a Dodge Dakota pickup being driven by Rouleau. Landry had just gotten off a Mississauga transit bus about 10:35 p.m. after volunteering at the Knights of Columbus bingo and was crossing Bloor St. when he was hit by Rouleau's vehicle.
Witnesses said Rouleau never stopped and, in fact, sped up as he continued driving. Police stopped him as he was entering the underground parking garage of his west Toronto apartment.
Court previously heard that Rouleau had been drinking from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Atrium Restaurant in Mississauga where he consumed at least nine bottles of beer. After being arrested, his blood alcohol was 201 milligrams in 100 millitres of blood — or more than twice the legal limit.
In pleading guilty earlier, Rouleau insisted that he never saw Landry and hit him when he swerved to avoid another vehicle. But he never stopped, and left Landry dying on the pavement.
Court heard that he also told his parole officer that he was remorseful for what had happened and had felt "helpless" since the tragic night.
Court previously heard that Rouleau has stopped drinking alcohol as a result of the accident. However, he was convicted of impaired driving in 1993 and of assaulting a daughter from a previous marriage.
Using sign language, Landry's widow Elizabeth, his elementary school sweetheart and wife of 46 years, said: "I'm upset. He should have been getting a lot more than three years."
Rouleau's estranged daughter, Mindy Parker, 27, who hasn't spoken to her father in seven years, supported the Landry family throughout their ordeal.
"For 27 years now, I've had to live with the fact that my father was a drunk driver," said Parker, whose mother Tammy also supported the Landry family. "He never cared about anybody but himself. He drove drunk with my younger sister and me in his car. He drove drunk when I was pregnant.
"Finally we have seen him pay for such a crime that has caused such devastation. We needed closure in our lives."
Landry's other daughter, Ruth Patenaude, 24, said the family expected Rouleau to say something to their family before being sentenced but he remained silent.
`My father might have been saved had he just stopped and called 911 but he didn't," she said. "Every second counts. Maybe something could have been done right away."
