The London man who killed a first-year Western University student has admitted his decision to drive drunk was selfish, immature, and irresponsible.
Jared DeJong, 25, apologized to the family of Andrea Christidis after listening to 11 victim impact statements read by family and friends in a packed London courtroom Thursday.
"I don't ever expect forgiveness, nor do I deserve it. No family should ever have to go through what I have put you through and I hate myself for having caused it," said DeJong.
DeJong pleaded guilty last month to one count of driving with more than 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood causing death. The sentencing hearing offered an in depth look into the pain and suffering that now dominates the lives of the Christidis family.
The court heard about the ambitions of the 18-year-old who planned to be a doctor, a girl with a bright, beautiful smile, who spoke three different languages, and had plans to travel to Europe with her cousin. She had completed just the first month of her studies in health sciences when she was hit from behind by a speeding car driven by DeJong. She had been walking back to her residence after a night of studying.
Family and friends rushed to her bedside in hospital to hold her hand. Her mother, Georgia Christidis, pleaded with her to open her eyes but she did not. Two days after the October 7, 2015 crash, Christidis died.
Since then her mother told the court, life has been a nightmare.
"I am filled with contempt and anger," said Georgia Christidis.
She called DeJong a "coward" for briefly running away after the crash.
In a statement read on his behalf, Christidis' father Chris told the court of the guilt he feels.
"My job was to keep her (Andrea) safe. I can't forgive myself for not doing so," read the statement.
Emotions ran their highest as Christidis' cousin, Nicole, yelled at DeJong as he sobbed at the defence table.
"Our whole world has been turned upside down because someone decided to go for a joy ride. This is not a joy ride for us. This is total devastation and hell on earth," said Nicole.
DeJong's lawyer, Jim Dean, is asking for a two to three year prison sentence, while the Crown is seeking a harsher five year sentence with a ten year driving ban.
"You can't lock him away forever," Dean told reporters outside of the courthouse. "A two year or a five year sentence is significant to Jared at 25 years of age, either, it doesn't matter. It may not be enough for some, certainly nothing may ever be enough for the Christidis family and I get it but it's what we can do."
Dean stressed that from the moment the crash happened, DeJong has accepted responsibility for his actions.
"Jared has clearly said he would give his life to bring Andrea back. He hates himself for what he's done," said Dean. "From day one when he came into my office his first thing was 'I need to take responsibility for this.' He regrets it every minute of every day."
Georgia Christidis acknowledged DeJong was remorseful.
"I feel that he regrets what he did," said Georgia Christidis. "I do not feel that he wanted to do that, I really don't. I don't have it in my heart to say that he wanted to do that. But he did do that. He did kill my daughter"
The Christidis family is calling for long sentence to help deter others from making the same tragic mistake as DeJong.
"This is the time. The message has to go out. We've got to have prevention, education, and stricter sentences. One needs the other to make the message a circle to keep people from drinking and driving and killing," said Chris Christdis. "A strict sentence would send a chilling message across Canada."
DeJong will be sentenced on June 16.
Christidis Family Statement:
"The irresponsible and unforgivable actions of the accused is the reason for my family's pain and suffering. Our daughter, Andrea, never made it home for Thanksgiving weekend on the Greyhound bus seat we had reserved for her. Instead, we last said good-bye to her on October 9, 2015. She had just started University, she was so happy, we were so proud of her. She lasted one month.
There is no apology or sentence that will last long enough that will punish him properly for the choices he made that night. His reckless behaviour and the deadly consequences of his actions. He killed our beautiful daughter, Andrea.
He was out drinking the night of October 7, 2015 at the pub, The Spoke, at Western University and then he got in his car and drove recklessly with no respect for the laws surrounding drinking and driving whats so ever, or any thought of who he might injure or kill that night on campus. He wasn't even a student there, he was just drinking there.
Our daughter was an innocent victim just walking back to her residence from a study lab. She would have been completing her first year of university this month, finishing her exams today. We would have been celebrating together the end of the school year but instead we are here.
Today I stand here before you as a grieving and heartbroken mother, pleading desperately with our justice system to have zero tolerance for drinking and driving. Better preventative laws and stricter punishment for those who choose to drink and drive and injure or kill someone and cause a family like ours a lifelong sentence of grief and devastation. He will be able to resume his life in a few years, we never will.
Currently, we don't have proper laws and longer sentencing for the severe nature of these crimes. We only have case law. This has to change. I'm pleading with our elected leaders to take a serious look at this societal problem. To make legislative changes for stronger laws for the crime of impaired driving to prevent this type of crime from happening again and again to many more future lives."
DeJong Family Statement:
"On Wednesday Oct. 7, 2015 our son and brother, Jared, made the worst decision of his young life and made the mistake of driving after he had been drinking. From this alcohol induced error in judgement, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
Words cannot express out deepest of sympathy, remorse, and regret, that we have for this and for the family of Andrea. We cannot fully appreciate the deep pain and sorrow that this has caused.
Jared has faced the consequences, head on. He has taken full responsibility for his actions. He will take the punishment that the courts decide on, which we hope are fair. We know he will carry this, as we will, to the end of our days.
We hope and pray that at some point the family of Andrea can find some closure, and are able to move forward from this tragic and life altering event.
For our family, our goal and focus going forward, will be to affect positive change, and do our best to assist in ending these tragic and avoidable, accidents.
We firmly believe that we all have a social and moral obligation to prevent drinking and then driving. It is not just the driver's, but also passengers, bar employees, and by-standers as well, it's everyone's responsibility, to both all of us prevent this.
We believe that prevention and education are key.
Though we never knew her, Andrea will always be a part of our lives. We can only hope to bring about some positive change from this tragedy."