Decimated, but strong and united in the tragedy, the relatives of the four people mowed down by a driver last September on the Dufferin-Montmorency highway testified on Tuesday to the consequences of the tragedy on their lives, which “will never be the same again” .
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The emotional charge was such that Judge Jean-Louis Lemay spoke from the outset to reassure the families present for the observations on the sentence of the accused, Éric Légaré.
“The court is there to listen to you. […] If I can do something to help you in the context of your testimony, do not hesitate”, insisted the magistrate, sensitive to the difficulty of the exercise.
Handcuffed in the dock, Éric Légaré appeared thin and shaken at times. The man seemed affected by the story of the consequences of the fatal decisions he made on September 2, 2021.
Emma Fortin, 10; his brother Jackson Fortin, 14, their mother Shellie Fletcher-Lemieux, 44, and their grandfather, James Fletcher, 68, all died in the accident caused by the driver, intoxicated after an after- noon in a bar in Saint-Roch.
“Important for their memory”
The testimonies made it possible to better understand these four lives gone too quickly, identifying at the same time the “abyss” which was dug in the life of their family. “I had to do it to honor them,” said Jean-Dominic Lemieux, Emma’s father and Shellie’s spouse, afterwards.
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Jean-Dominic Lemieux
Jackson was “the family’s little clown”, “a ray of sunshine” in love with football and music. The boy, sensitive and generous, “left no one behind”.
“He’s a little guy who didn’t have any gangs, he had the whole gang,” testified his father, Daniel Fortin, who explained that he had a drawing made by his son tattooed by inserting in ink a small portion of the latter’s ashes. “He is impregnated in me for life, in my skin”.
As for Emma, “the blessed”, she already had an entrepreneurial spirit despite her young age. “She picked flowers and went to sell them to neighbors in the neighborhood,” said, with a smile in his voice, his father Jean-Dominic Lemieux, who also lost his rock in the accident, his spouse of the past 12 years, Shellie .
“She was the one who made sure everything was going smoothly,” he added with emotion.
Shellie’s father, James Fletcher, had retired just two weeks before the accident. He had worked hard all his life in the Cape Breton mining industry to support his family and was now excited to spend time with family and finally get the chance to attend a Jackson football game. .
“They were rather mowed down by a missile under the influence of alcohol and drugs” lamented in a touching testimony David Fletcher, Shellie’s brother.
Major traces
Such a tragedy obviously leaves traces, and this, on many levels. Jean-Dominic Lemieux said he was marked by the image of the elevator doors closing as Emma, then Jackson, was taken away for the organ donation that would mark the end of their too short life.
“When the door closed, I said to him: ‘goodbye, my love, I love you. Will save lives. […] And the scene was repeated the next day with Jackson,” said the father of the family, saluting the 10 lives saved by the children.
Without wanting to dwell on his life since the accident, the man confided in passing that he had been forced to sell the family home, simply unable to live in it without his family.
For his part, Jackson’s father, Daniel Fortin, music lover and sportsman, said he simply no longer wanted to indulge in what occupied his life before he lost his son.
“I’m not able anymore because I was doing it with Jackson. It pains me too much”, testified with great solidity the father of the teenager who would have turned 15 last month.
Saying he is still fighting against suicidal thoughts today, the 46-year-old man thanked those around him, “who don’t let go of a sole”. “I wouldn’t be here without them,” he admitted, swallowing back tears.
Three cousins of the young victims and a friend of little Emma also presented touching letters to the court on Tuesday, as did other members of their family.
Testimony of the parents of the accused
Éric Légaré pleaded guilty last December to the myriad of charges against him, 19 in total, including four of drunk driving causing death. The 44-year-old man was not his first offense in this area, he who had already been convicted in a story of impaired driving in 2017.
Sentencing submissions will continue on Wednesday when defense witnesses, including Légaré’s parents, are expected to be heard. He could also testify.
The lawyers of the two parties will then present their opinions on the sentence before the judge takes the case under advisement while setting the sentence.
Excerpts from testimonials
- “The worst nightmare is not the one we have when we dream because those end when we wake up. The worst nightmare is to believe that none of this happened, that we are surrounded by our family and that when we wake up, it’s complete silence. That there is no one around us” – Jean-Dominic Lemieux, father of Emma, father-in-law of Jackson, spouse of Shellie and son-in-law of James Fletcher.
- “Mr. Légaré, you sentenced us all to a life sentence. […] At Christmas, you probably got to talk to your family, hear their voices. Me, all I have are ballot boxes at home.” – Anne-Marie Fletcher, spouse of James, mother of Shellie and grandmother of Jackson and Emma.
- “On the evening of September 2, 2021, I received a call from my son that chilled my blood and will forever be in my memory. […] From that moment on, my life was never the same” – Éric Fortin, Jackson’s paternal grandfather.
- “When they did the breathing test to see if he was breathing on his own, it was the longest 15 minutes of my life. I’m not a believer, but those 15 minutes I prayed for him to come back to me” – Gabrielle Bonneville, cousin of Jackson Fortin.
Reference-www.journaldequebec.com