The widower of Const. Sarah Beckett, the Victoria-area RCMP officer killed on duty by a drunk driver fleeing police nearly three years ago, says he wasn’t informed of a parole hearing for her killer.
On Monday, Kenneth Fenton was granted limited day parole to attend alcohol abuse treatment. Fenton pleaded guilty in the deadly crash in May, 2017 and was sentenced to four years.
“No one was there to be a voice for Sarah at all. And I think Fenton got off really easy today, seeing as how Sarah didn’t have a voice and he did,” said Brad Aschenbrenner.
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“I’ve been to every court appearance as a voice for that and I wasn’t notified for this. And I promised Sarah that I would be here for her, and this is disheartening that I wasn’t there to be here for her voice today.”
Aschenbrenner told Global News his last contact with the Parole Board of Canada was back in July when Fenton was being sentenced on another conviction, for a separate crash while fleeing police and intoxicated.
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Aschenbrenner said that at the time he wrote a victim impact statement and was told the board would keep the letter on file and that there was no need for him to do anything else and he would be contacted next time Fenton was eligible for parole.
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In an email, Parole Board of Canada spokesperson Lisa Saether said the board cannot comment on whether it has been in contact with a specific victim.
“I can tell you that when a victim registers for information with the Parole Board, the Board notifies them in writing in advance of any scheduled hearings,” she said.
“The Board also notifies registered victims of its decisions after they are made. Registered victims are given an opportunity to submit statements to the Board, request copies of decisions and to observe hearings.”
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Aschbrenner said he still believes Fenton’s four-year sentence was too short, and he’s shocked that his wife’s killer is already getting some access to the community.
“I don’t get it. he killed an officer in the line of duty fleeing from police while drinking and driving … Not that this is a one-off situation for this individual, it’s habitual for him. I’m just disgusted with the entire process.”
Fenton becomes eligible for full-day parole in May and Aschenbrenner said he plans to be at that hearing.
However, he said he’s pessimistic about the outcome.
“I don’t really believe in the court system at all anymore, so I’m assuming they’re going to let him out.”
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