A London man who drove drunk, killing a Western University student wept as he was handed a five year prison sentence for the crime.
Jared DeJong, 25, was sentenced Thursday at the London courthouse. In addition to the five year prison sentence, he is banned from driving for ten years.
Prior to delivering the sentence, Ontario Court Justice Eleanor Schnall told the court that "drunk driving is not dissimilar to carrying a loaded weapon." She also noted that the student body at Western and the community have been profoundly affected by DeJong's actions.
DeJong pleaded guilty in March to one count of driving with more than 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood causing the death of Andrea Christidis.
The 18-year-old university student was walking back to her residence on October 7, 2015 when a vehicle, driven by DeJong, jumped the curb on Lambton Dr. and hit her. She died from her injuries two days after the crash.
Upon the judge levying the sentence, the room saw silent nods of approval from the Christidis family. The sentence exceeds the two to three year prison sentence DeJong’s lawyer, Jim Dean had requested.
“It doesn’t surprise me, it doesn’t please me, I don’t think there’s any sentence that would please anybody,” says Dean.
DeJong has been in the mindset of a prisoner from day one, according to Dean.
“He’s been prepared for it since the day he walked into my office,” Dean says.
DeJong apologized to the Christidis family after listening to 11 victim impact statements during his sentencing hearing on April 28.
“I don’t ever expect forgiveness, nor do I deserve it," DeJong said. "No family should ever have to go through what I have put you through and I hate myself for having caused it."
Due to the death of Andrea’s father, Chris Christidis, on May 31, neither her mother, Georgia, or her sister, Alexia, were in attendance Thursday. However, Andrea’s aunt, Soula Koutlemanis, spoke on their behalf, mentioning the family’s most recent tragedy.
“He died of a broken heart,” Koutlemanis says, “Chris was crushed by Andrea’s death.”
Koutlemanis also reiterated the family's call for stiffer penalties for those who choose to drink and drive.
“No sentence handed down today could be fair or just, so long as the penalty does not match the crime,” says Koutlemanis. “Something must change, something must be done to ensure that no other family goes through this again.”
She also mentions the damage done to their entire family and friend network, while DeJong’s family will soon have him back.
“He will return to his family and continue his life,” says Koutlemanis. “We on the other hand have been sentenced to a life sentence of pain and suffering.”
Koutlemanis’ tearful statement ended with her plea for answers to the “epidemic" of impaired driving.
“When will it end? How many more people have to die? How many people will have to bury their loved ones? How many more parents have to bury their children? What will it take to make a change?” says Koutlemanis.
DeJong will eligible for parole after serving one-third of his sentence.
-With files from Miranda Chant
**this story was written by Samuel Gallant. Samuel is a student in the Fanshawe College broadcast journalism program. He is performing a summer internship with Blackburn News.**