Windsor man sentenced to house arrest in fatal hit-and-run of 7-year-old boy
A Windsor man who hit a child with his vehicle, left the scene, and attempted to cover up his involvement in the incident was sentenced to a 12 month conditional sentence of house arrest in Provincial Court Tuesday morning.
According to an agreed upon statement of facts, Christopher Filiault was driving his vehicle on Nov. 15, 2020 when he struck Kuothhorko (Kuzi) James, a 7-year-old Windsor boy, around 8:45 p.m. James was transported to hospital but died of his injuries.
Filiault left the scene at Jefferson Boulevard at Haig Avenue without stopping to assist and later attempted to have repairs done to his vehicle to hide his involvement in the incident.
Filiault previously pleaded guilty to failing to remain and obstruction of justice earlier in 2022. Twenty-one months after the incident took place, Filiault was sentenced Tuesday by Justice Sharon Murphy, who in her decision said the 12 month conditional sentence sends the appropriate message to the community that this behaviour is not tolerated.
“I am not sentencing him for causing Kuzi’s death, but rather failing to stop and actively avoiding responsibility,” said Justice Murphy in her sentencing reasons.
Justice Murphy said Filiault’s remorse for the incident, his empathy and verbal apology to the family, guilty plea and medical condition are mitigating factors in her decision.
Filiault will be fitted for a GPS monitoring device and will also lose driving privileges for a period of three years.
Justice Murphy also indicated that should Filiault breach any conditions laid out in court, “he stands a good likelihood of serving the remaining balance in custodial facility.”
Kuothhorko James’ parents, family and friends were in court today for the sentencing decision, some actively scoffing at the decision, saying “That’s what the life of a child is worth? Disgusting” as they walked out of the courtroom.
James Riek, Kuothhorko’s father, declined to comment after court adjourned, saying only that “no justice was served… he killed our son and got away with it.”
A vigil is held at the scene where a child was the victim in a fatal hit-and-run crash at Jefferson Boulevard and Haig Avenue in Windsor. Friday, November 20, 2020. (Ricardo Veneza/CTV Windsor).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.