Five-year prison sentence for suspended driver in death of retired principal

A 45-year-old has been sentenced after a car crash that killed a retired principal and injured her husband.

The wreckage of an SUV and a pickup truck were scattered all over the roadway after Randy Dale Jones, 45, of Manitoulin Island drove erratically through downtown London, speeding up to 94 kilometres an hour and going through red lights on Sept. 10 of last year.

To make matters worse, his driver’s licence had been suspended at the time.

He eventually crashed into 67-year-old Catherine Sallows and her 70-year-old husband Stephen near the intersection of Queens Avenue and William Street. He then fled on foot, leaving everyone behind.

Catherine, a retired school principal, died days later in hospital. Her husband is still recovering from his injuries both emotionally and physically.

During the sentencing, Justice Ghazala Zaman told the court, “The death has deprived her husband of his life partner ... Mr. Sallows speaks of nightmares, panic attacks, and grief.”

Jones was arrested about a week later in Thunder Bay after a police chase. He was found in a stolen pickup truck.

The court heard about his alarming driving record with 18 speeding infractions over two decades with the judge saying, “This record demonstrates a persistent disregard of the rules governing the safe operation of a motor vehicle and it establishes that prior sanctions failed to deter Mr. Jones from unsafe driving.”

She went on to say, “Mr. Jones fled the scene after the collision and failed to render assistance to anyone involved, including people that were in his own vehicle.”

Originally charged with 11 counts, Jones pleaded guilty in April to dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

After a joint submission from the Crown and the defence, Jones was handed a five-year prison sentence along with a lifetime driving prohibition.

Jones has told the court he is remorseful and for every court appearance he has sat in the prisoner’s box and sobbed.

Outside the courthouse, defence lawyer Nick Cake spoke about his client and the situation, “No matter what her honour did in court today, there’s no justice because no justice can bring back a mom, aunt, or friend.”

He added, “Ultimately, Mr. Jones is going to serve his time and move forward. But whatever her honour said won’t close the book on this and frankly I don’t think the book will ever close because there’s a whole lot of healing that has to happen.”