'Thoughtless, drunken' act ruined family, victim's husband tells court
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CALGARY - A Calgary man wept as he described in a victim impact statement on Friday how a drunk driver who killed his wife Linda and nearly killed his wheelchair-bound son Josh has destroyed his family's life.
Kevin Davey said Darren Paul Coupal's callous actions on April 30, 2008, took away the love of his life for 26 years.
"This is a picture of the woman this man killed," Davey said, choking back tears. "This is a picture of what this man did to my already wheelchair-bound son."
"This was a cruel, thoughtless, drunken killing. This statement can never express the amount of pain this has caused me, our family members and friends."
Kevin Davey said his son and daughter, who was also with them that night, did not want to come to court because "they didn't want to see the man that killed Mommy."
Crown prosecutor Paul Mason argued for a total of eight to 10 years, preferably at the higher end of the range, on the five charges to which Coupal pleaded guilty on Nov. 30.
Court heard at the time Coupal admitted driving home drunk from a local pub and killing Linda Davey, 42, sending Josh Davey, 16, to hospital for several weeks, and also injuring family friend Fakhria Zadran, in the southwest neighbourhood of Bridlewood where both the offender and victims lived.
Coupal, 36, pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death and two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm, as well as hit and run and driving while disqualified.
The three victims were out walking at around 8:15 p.m. when Coupal left a neighbourhood pub and got behind the wheel of a 2003 Dodge Durango a friend had left at his home.
His unsteady walk to the vehicle arose suspicions of others in the parking lot, according to an agreed statement of facts.
As they called 911 to report an impaired driver, Coupal began the 1.1-kilometre drive home.
When he failed to negotiate a curve on Bridleridge Way S.W., the SUV went up on the sidewalk, where it struck Davey, her son and friend.
The Dodge Durango then crossed back over the street and up on the median, rupturing two of its tires, before Coupal returned to the correct side of the road and drove home.
Mason said Coupal didn't realize he had hit anyone.
Josh Davey spent one month in hospital recovering from his injuries. Zadran was hospitalized for four months and will never fully recover from her injuries, Mason said.
Defence lawyer Steve Wojcik will also make his sentencing arguments to Court of Queen's Bench Justice Beth Hughes today.
dslade@theherald.canwest.com
