Marco Muzzo (“Muzzo”), an Ontario man convicted of impaired driving in a 2015 accident that killed three children and their grandfather, is scheduled to appear for a parole hearing on November 7, 2018.
Muzzo is seeking day parole and is eligible to apply for full parole in May 2019 and statutory release on June 18, 2022.
The children’s parents, Jennifer Neville-Lake and Ed Lake, plan to attend the parole hearing at the Beaver Creek Institution in Gravenhurst.
WHAT HAPPENED?
On September 27, 2015, Muzzo had returned home on a private jet from his bachelor party in Miami and picked up his Jeep SUV from the airport parking lot. He was speeding when he drove through a stop sign and plowed into the driver’s side of a minivan transporting the Neville-Lake family.
Muzzo was driving at least 120 km/h on a 60 km/h road at the time of the accident. Muzzo’s blood-alcohol content ranged from 0.19 to 0.25 per cent at the time of the crash, which is more than twice the legal limit in Ontario. Police officers at the scene reported that Muzzo smelled of alcohol, his eyes were glassy, he used the car to keep his balance, he was unable to understand instructions from the officers, and he urinated on himself.
Muzzo pleaded guilty to four counts of impaired driving causing death and two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm for the crash that killed nine-year-old Daniel Neville-Lake, his five-year-old brother Harrison, his two-year-old sister Milly, and the children’s 65-year-old Grandfather, Gary Neville.
Neriza Neville, the children’s grandmother, and Josefina Frias, the children’s great-grandmother, were also injured in the accident, but survived the crash.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Michelle Fuerst sentenced Muzzo to 10-years in prison and banned him from driving for 12 years after he gets out of prison. This was the harshest sentence in Canadian history for an impaired driver without a prior record.
Justice Fuerst intended for her sentence to send a message to deter others from committing the same crime. She considered the aggravating factors of Muzzo choosing to drive drunk and that his prior speeding convictions reflected an “irresponsible attitude toward the privilege of driving”.
WHAT IS PAROLE?
According to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, all offenders must be considered for some form of conditional release during their sentence. However, although an offender may be eligible for release does not mean that the release will be granted. The Parole Board of Canada must assess an offender’s risk to determine if a conditional release is warranted.
Parole is a conditional release from jail for offenders to serve the remainder of their sentence outside of the confines of the institution. The goal of parole programs is to provide a gradual, controlled, and supervised path between jail and freedom.
Day parole permits offenders to participate in community-based activities in preparation for full parole or statutory release. Day parole requires the offender to return each night to a community-based residence, otherwise known as a halfway house.
The Parole Board does not automatically grant parole, each individual case must be reviewed to determine suitability for release. The Parole Board will consider the following factors in determining whether an offender should be granted parole:
- The offender’s criminal record;
- The seriousness and nature of the offence;
- The offender’s behaviour while in prison;
- The offender’s release plan; and
- The remorse he/she has expressed for the crime, and in Muzzo’s case, his guilty plea.
Victims are also allowed to provide written victim information to the Parole Board detailing any continuing impact the crime has on their life and any concerns they have for their own safety or the safety of their family.
The Parole Board can impose conditions to the day parole release in order to lessen the risk of re-offending, such as ordering abstinence or counselling. Offenders must also obey the law and report regularly to a parole officer.
Jennifer Neville-Lake, the mother of the three children killed in this devastating accident, has posted a plea on Facebook asking supporters to write to the Parole Board of Canada to oppose Muzzo’s conditional release. She has also posted a petition on Facebook requesting that Muzzo remain in prison for the remainder of his ten year sentence. She is attempting to make an example of Muzzo in an effort to prevent future drinking and driving accidents. Over 9,100 people have signed the petition to date, with a goal of 10,000 signatures.
We will continue to follow the Muzzo case and will report any developments on this blog.
In the meantime, if you or a loved one have been charged with an impaired driving offence or any other driving offence or have any questions regarding your legal rights, please contact the experienced and knowledgeable criminal lawyers at Barrison Law. We offer a 24-hour phone service to protect your rights and to ensure that you have access to justice at all times. Contact our office online or at 905-404-1947.