Posted on 01/18/2022 12:13:38 PM PST by jerod
Michelle Hanson, now living in Stephenville, N.L., pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death
A mother who pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death in her son's drowning death in the Grand River in Ontario in 2018 has been given a two-year conditional sentence during a virtual hearing Tuesday.
Michelle Hanson, 38, was charged after three-year-old Kaden Young died during heavy flooding on Feb. 21, 2018, near Hanson's then home west of Orangeville, about 60 kilometres northwest of Toronto. She pleaded guilty in November.
She appeared via video from Stephenville, N.L., where she moved in December 2020, the sentencing hearing was told.
Hanson will spend the first 18 months of her conditional sentence under house arrest. She'll only be allowed to leave her home for medical emergencies or appointments, employment or with written permission from the conditional sentence supervisor. She is also permitted to leave the house on Mondays between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to get the "necessities of life."
For the last six months of the sentence, Hanson will be able to leave her home, but has a curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily.
She cannot drive during the next two years. As well, she must attend grief and addictions counselling sessions.
After the two years, Hanson will be on probation for one year, during which time she will need to regularly check in with a probation officer, and continue to attend grief and addictions counselling.
She also will not be allowed to drive for the three years after her conditional sentence, for a total nationwide driving ban of five years.
Judge considered guilty plea in sentencing During sentencing on Tuesday, Justice Giselle Miller said Hanson should be given credit for pleading guilty to her son's death.
"I understand that it took Ms. Hanson quite some time to come to accept her responsibility in her son's death, but she has done so. She is given credit for accepting that responsibility and for her expression of remorse in doing so."
The court heard Tuesday that just after midnight on Feb. 21, 2018, Hanson drove with her son while under the influence of alcohol. Hanson had put her son, who was having trouble sleeping, in the van and started to drive to a convenience store in the nearby town of Grand Valley.
Earlier in the day, road closure barriers had been put up on 10th Line of Amaranth near Hanson's home because of rising waters in the Grand River and the potential for flooding. That night, Hanson drove around the barrier and into a flooded section of the roadway. The van was pulled into the river by the strong current.
Kaden was in his car seat when the van went into the river. Hanson was able to get him out of the car seat and the van, but lost grip of him as they were swept down river.
At 12:52 a.m. ET that day, police responded to a 911 call that a vehicle had entered the Grand River in Amaranth, west of Orangeville.
Hanson was rescued from the frigid waters by firefighters.
Paramedics who helped Hanson detected an odour of alcohol, the statement said. She was taken to hospital, where a doctor found she was suffering from hypothermia and other minor injuries...
Sounds like she is an idiot, but I am not sure what the point of spending money to imprison her for years would be. I am sure she is punishing herself for this... hence the guilty plea. But when you have lawyers involved who knows what the real situation is. Every time it floods near our home we have barricades that are not taken for days after the water has receded.
It took 12 paragraphs into the story to get even a clue as to what she might be guilty of.
Betting if it was the father and not the mother of the child, sentencing would have been much harsher.
You and I are on the same page. I don’t see the point of throwing this person in prison. I tend to take a 19th century position on this sort of stuff.
She did shoot him ala Baldwin style?
“I was too effed up! It’s not my fault! I was drinking!”
Wine God: I told you to stop long ago, b1tch. You were too effed up to listen.
What was her BAL?
nothing about BAL?
“The van was pulled into the river...”
The loser T. Kennedy deserted a woman who was pulled into the water. Precedent for the loser M. Hanson.
Too few details. Was her BAL tested or are we just relying on the cops word? Based on the lack of info it is possible this was a tragedy caused by a bad decision. After all in today’s world there can be no accidents when finding fault lets lawyers enrich and empower themselves.
Wikipedia lists 17 different entries for "BAL."
Maybe you could give us a hint as to which of them you meant here.
Regards,
She knew how to play them.
What idiots we have working in *justice*.
Looks like if you want to bump somebody off, Canada’s the place to do it.
blood alcohol level BAL
Agree.
She has to live the rest of her life with the knowledge that her negligence resulted in the death of her son.
Being in a raging river flood with a baby in a baby seat in the back, she managed to get him out, but by then the river was roaring and moving too fast and she wasn’t able to hold on to him. I think some here are not accustomed to floods, and don’t realize how strong they are. I see nothing that makes her guilty of the baby’s death. She tried to save him. It’s a miscarriage of justice and making the loss more devastating. Now she has to claim guilt that she knows is not true in order to have any freedom. Shame.
I’m well aware of what floods can do.
There’s no doubt this is a tragedy.
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