Family expects ‘harder’ day when driver sentenced for the death of 11-year-old Jude Strickland

The father of 11-year-old Jude Strickland, struck and killed on a Mountain roadway in December 2020, says his family is using “faith” and “forgiveness” to move forward in a “healthy way.”

Jamie Strickland, a pastor at West Highland Church, says there are times he feels “anger and hatred for sure,” since the fatal collision, but is trying to find a way to move beyond those emotions since he believes being “bitter and resentful” will just do lifelong harm.

“I’ve just seen that is a better way then than trying to hold anger and resentment as a way forward in life,” Strickland told 900 CHML’s Scott Radley Show.

“One way I think about it, is failing to forgive is like drinking poison and hoping that it harms the other person.”

Strickland is getting over an “emotional and exhausting day” in a Hamilton virtual court hearing seven victim impact statements and a weepy address from the man who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and possession of a controlled substance.

“It just brings our memories back to to losing Jude and just everything afresh. So it has been a hard last day or so,” he said.

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Strickland, his wife Vanessa and Jude’s grandfather Pete were just some of the voices heard at the hearing.

At the first session of his sentencing, 29-year-old Brandon Aubert told the virtual court he will live with what happened for the rest of his life and said it “breaks” him to the core thinking of what Jamie and his family have been dealing with.

He pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2020 for driving 69 km/h in a 50 zone, having blown through a red light and ignoring a crossing guard, according to court documents.

The statement of facts also revealed Aubert had 4.8 grams of fentanyl in his truck when arrested.

Strickland’s death would spark a petition calling for the city to lower the speed limit on the section of Upper Gage Avenue between Stone Church Road and Rymal Road East. from 50 to 40 km/h.

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On Feb. 19, councillors voted in favour of a staff report suggesting the reduction as well as designating a stretch of Upper Gage a community safety zone, lowering that speed limit to 40 to 30 km/h in alignment with a school zone.

Aubert’s sentencing date is scheduled for April 5 and is in the hands of Justice Marjoh Agro.

Jamie Strickland expects that day to be “much different and harder” than Tuesday’s session. He and family members plan on attending and hopes the bulk of it is in person as opposed to the use of Zoom for the forum.

“It’s hard to process some of these things just over Zoom, where you see another individual on a little box on your screen through pixels and that,” Strickland said.

The Crown, led by attorney Brett Moodie, have asked for at least a four-year sentence and a 10-year drivers’ licence prohibition.

Aubert’s counsel is requesting a more lenient sentence of two and a half years and a five-year licence prohibition due to his admission of guilt and remorse for his actions.

Strickland says he now appreciates those who ask about his “sweet but curious” son and hopes to be able to make use of what the family has gone through to help others sharing a similar experience.

“Even if we would be tearing up as we do it, it’s meaningful for us to tell people about Jude,” Strickland said.

“That’s why when we can, we … take the opportunities to tell people about him.”