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 Beckett害羞草研究所檚 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, Fenton害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淭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,害羞草研究所� Marshall said.
Dan McLaughlin, communications counsel with the B.C. prosecution service, also told reporters it害羞草研究所檚 likely the other charges will be dropped.
The guilty plea comes after months of delays in the case while the two sides continued negotiations.
害羞草研究所淭oday害羞草研究所檚 development is the result of resolution discussions which have been ongoing since an early stage in these proceedings,害羞草研究所� McLaughlin said.
Beckett害羞草研究所檚 family members didn害羞草研究所檛 issue a statement and requested privacy.
害羞草研究所淲e have kept them apprised of all the developments during the course of these negotiations,害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 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,害羞草研究所� McLaughlin said. 害羞草研究所淎 guilty plea is a factor to be considered when the court is assessing the appropriate sentence, to be sure.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e been through stuff like this before and it takes a community effort to see them through this,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淓very day is one day forward and you find ways to find strength and carry on.害羞草研究所�
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.
