The crash that killed RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett did more than take the life of a young mother who dedicated her life to serving her community. It shattered lives and left family, friends, colleagues and the public angry and frustrated.
For many who were caught up in the grief and trauma, the sentencing of Kenneth Jacob Fenton for smashing his truck into Beckett’s cruiser seems out of step with public attitudes to impaired driving.
It seems as if the judicial system is living with the legacy of a time when people winked at the notion of having a few drinks and getting behind the wheel. Sentences based on precedent haven’t kept pace with the growing public belief that drunk driving, especially when it takes a life, deserves condemnation and deterrence.
The judge who sentenced Fenton to four years in prison for impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death noted that his job was to administer justice, not exact vengeance. But that is not a simple dichotomy.
For those living with the devastation of Fenton’s action, justice hasn’t been served, no matter what the precedents say. The demand for a more severe sentence is not simply a thirst for revenge. It’s a demand that our justice system reflect the common understanding of what justice means in such a case.
Fenton had a history of alcohol-related convictions and driving prohibitions under the Motor Vehicle Act, but had done nothing to address his alcohol problem. He was not drunk when he took the first drink, and probably not when he took the second. He made the choice to drink, knowing his past problems with booze and driving.
When he chose to get into his truck, he was 3.5 times over the legal limit for alcohol. When he reached the straight stretch of Peatt Road, he accelerated, through a red light and into the side of Beckett’s car.
His high level of impairment was an aggravating factor in sentencing, the judge said.
Criminal Justice Branch spokeswoman Alisia Adams said: “In this case, it’s clear the family, friends and colleagues of Const. Beckett have experienced a profound loss. We recognize their pain.”
“But in approaching our task as Crown counsel, we have to look objectively and impartially at what the evidence can prove beyond a reasonable doubt and consider the law as it has developed in this province and apply our policy in a consistent way.”
But the justice system must be an expression of society’s values. There was a time when domestic violence was swept under the table, and treated almost as a private matter. However, large numbers of people demanded it be treated with the seriousness it deserves, so police, lawyers and judges changed their approach.
B.C.’s tougher impaired-driving regime has driven the message home for many drivers, but for those such as Fenton who persist in flouting the law, we need to get them off the road sooner, before they kill someone. If they cause crashes, the punishment must be swift and harsh.
We cannot lock up young people forever, but sentencing is one way society can express how seriously it takes an offence.
Rather than judges and prosecutors explaining how their hands are tied, our legislators and judicial system should catch up with public values. Somewhere between current sentences and vengeance, there is room for stronger punishment.
