Widower of London Free Press carrier pens emotional statement read in court Thursday

“This punk not only killed my wife, he destroyed my life,” wrote Chris Chivers, the husband of Gloria Chivers, in an emotional victim impact read in a London courtroom Thursday.

Jinghao Zou, a 24-year-old Chinese national who pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death and immigration charges earlier this year, was expecting to hear a judge’s sentencing decision after a head-on crash last November that killed the 60-year-old London Free Press carrier.

“I have no one to love,” the statement continued.

“We were married longer than you’ve been alive, and now she’s dead thanks to you.”

Chris Chivers wasn’t in court Thursday. Gloria’s sister, Ruth Summerhill, told reporters outside the courthouse that her brother-in-law was grieving in his own way.

“I think it’s too much for him, to deal with seeing the accused,” she explained.

Defence lawyer Jim Dean argued his client should recieve a four-year sentence for the crimes, leaving it up to the judge to decide how they’d be distributed, but suggesting four months for the immigration charges.

Crown attorney George Christakos sought six years for impaired driving charges, while federal prosocuter Ben Eberhard sought two years for immigration charges.

READ MORE: Driver charged in death of London Free Press carrier to enter plea

Unable to understand the language, Zhou’s parents, aunt, and a former teacher sat quietly in the benches until the 24-year-old was invited to speak. He read out loud in Mandarin from a small book. His words were spoken in English by a translator.

“I killed an innocent woman, I hurt her family, and before this time I was a good person,” Zhou said. Family members seated behind him began to cry, able to understand, likely for the first time, the words being spoken aloud in the courtroom.

Zhou talked about how he’d wanted to make his parents proud, and how he’d been sent to Canada for a better education, but that he struggled learn.

“The schools here in Canada were very challenging for me,” he said.

He made friends with other Chinese immigrants, and he started to drink.

“They told me I could become successful… but after they took my money they didn’t give me any help, and I have done wrong to another person.”

As Zhou finished his remarks with an apology, one of the Chinese women turned towards the Chivers family and made eye contact with Summerhill, pressing her palms together and bowing her head slightly as tears streamed down her cheeks.

READ MORE: Additional charges expected against man charged in fatal north London crash

It’s estimated that Zhou was travelling 188 km/hr in a rented 2017 Dodge Durango when he ran a red light at around 2:45 a.m. on November 24th, hitting Chivers’ 2005 Pontiac Sunfire, stopped at a red light in the left turn lane at the intersection of Sunningdale Road West and Richmond Street.

Chivers’ was pronounced dead at the scene. Her vehicle came a rest 91.3 metres from the point of impact.

At around 5:30, Zhou submitted to a breath test and blew 0.199; a second test soon after resulted in 0.184, more than double the legal limit of .08.

Zhou will also be sentenced for using a fradulent passport.

The Chinese national arrived in Canada in Vancouver on Aug. 22, 2013, and attended Brock University in St. Catharines for a month. He dropped out and applied to King’s University in London and was accepted but was required to take ESL courses. He failed at Fanshawe College, enrolled in the London Language Institute, but did not attend or take any tests. He gave a “friend” $45,000 to start a fish and tackle business on Adelaide street which closed in September 2016.

Zhou then met a contact in an internet chat group and paid him $17,500 for a work permit. The e-application was granted but documents were falsified to say he graduated from Seneca College in International Business.

After completing his sentence in Canada, Zhou is expected to be deported back to China.