Plea bargain is far too lenient: MPP
BURLINGTON, Ont. – A Halton crown attorney is reviewing a plea bargain that would force a York Region trucking company to make a $2,000 donation to charity for running overweight.
Attorney-General David Young was made aware of the situation by New Democrat MPP, Peter Kormos, after published reports indicated the charges were laid after the truck struck 17-year-old Jeffrey Fleeton, a grade 12 Brampton student. Fleeton died a month later in the hospital.
Halton Region Police and Ministry of Labour investigators searched the scene and found no evidence to file charges directly related to Fleeton’s death. However, investigators did charge vehicle owner, Argo Lumber Inc. with having an oversized load on the truck.
According to police the truck was carrying pre-made frames for houses being built in the area.
Shortly after Crown Attorney Raphael Leong agreed to the plea bargain with Neil Kozloff, the lawyer for the company, he left the case. Another Halton prosecutor, Richard Garwood-Jones, will review the case to determine if the plea bargain is appropriate or if a trial is needed.
Kormos told the Legislature it is an outrageous miscarriage of justice to allow a company to make a $2,000 donation for the death of a teenager. He urges the Attorney-General to void the deal and have the truck owners face trial. n
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Jeff was a dear friend who passed away at 17. This man did no harm to anyone in his life and had an indescribable positive aura about him. My last memory of him was his laugh the day before the accident. It’s unbelievable that a teenager’s life was taken away because a transport company decides to overload a truck. RIP my friend.