Marco Muzzo sentenced to 10 years in prison for Vaughan crash that killed 4

A judge has sentenced Marco Muzzoto 10 years in prison for his role in a Vaughan, Ont., crash that killed four members of the same family and seriously injured two others, saying the convicted drunk driver had "decimated an entire generation."

The crash on Sept. 27, 2015, killed three young Neville-Lake children, Daniel, 9, Harrison, 5,Milly, 2, and their grandfather, Gary Neville, 65.

Two other extended family members, the children's grandmotherand her mother,were injured in the crash.

• 'None of my children saw 10 years,' Jennifer Neville-Lake says
• CBC Forum: Do you agree with the sentence given to Marco Muzzo?
• Marco Muzzo: 'I'm tortured by the grief I've caused'
• Marco Muzzo sentencing: 'What hope is there when your entire world is gone,' mom says

Ontario Superior Court Justice Michelle Fuerst announced the sentence in Newmarket, Ont., court Tuesday morning.

Fuerst gave Muzzoeight months' credit for time spent in custody, so the 29-year-oldwill only servenine years and four months of his10-year sentence. The impaired driving sentence also stipulates that Muzzowill be banned from driving for 12 years after he gets out of prison.

In her sentencing,Fuerstsaid that a "perfectly ordinary day was rendered catastrophic" becauseMuzzodecided to drink and drive and, as a result, a "life sentence has been inflicted on the Neville-Lake family."

"In one fell swoop, he decimated an entire generation of the Neville-Lake family, its legacy and its future," saidFuerst.

Defence lawyer Brian Greenspan said Muzzo wouldbegin serving his sentence on Tuesdayand will be eligible for parole after serving one-third of it. Greenspanconfirmed that means that Muzzo will spendat least three years in prison.

The driving ban will begin the day he is released from custody.

Muzzo pleaded guilty to four counts of impaired driving causing death and two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm.

Jennifer Neville-Lake speaks after Muzzo sentencing

9 years ago

Duration 6:19

Jennifer Neville-Lake speaks to reporters after Marco Muzzo is sentenced to 10-years

Fuerst said in her decision that the sentence must send a message to others to deter them from committing the same crime and reflect society's "abhorrence of the crime" an argument that was put forward by the Crown when they asked that Muzzobe sentenced to between 10 and 12 years in prison andthat he be prohibited from driving for eight to 12 years.

Crown lawyer Paul Tait had acknowledged that there was no precedent for the judge to draw on when deciding on a sentence, given the number of victims and their ages. But he said Muzzo's actions were the equivalent of "having a loaded gun walking down the street."

Crown prosecutors told CBC News Tuesday they wouldnot speak about the Muzzo sentencing.

The judge said aggravating factors in the case includedMuzzo's"choice to drink and drive" and said that his prior speeding convictions reflected an "irresponsible attitude toward the privilege of driving."

ButFuerstadded thatMuzzo'sdecision to plead guilty andthe number of letters written byMuzzo'sfamily and friendsdescribing himas "humble" and thinking of others led her to believe he "is a person of good character."

At his sentencing hearing on Feb. 24,Muzzo told court that"I'm tortured by the grief I caused."

Mother's grief

"The sentence is10 years and none of my children saw 10 years," Jennifer Neville-Lake, mother of the three children, said outside the courthouse Tuesday.

"When you chooseto drink and drive you're hurting other families. You're killing someone else's babies like all of mine were killed," she said.

Muzzowas driving an SUV that collided with theminivancarrying the Neville-Lake family at Kipling Avenue and Kirby Road, north of Toronto. He had returned from a trip to Miami on a private jet on the day of the crash, picked up his Jeep from the airport parking lot and driven off.

The SUV, according to an agreed statement of fact read in court, was travelling at 85 kilometres an hour whenMuzzowent through a stop sign and struck theminivan, hitting the driver's side.

His blood-alcohol content at the time of the crash ranged from 0.19 to 0.25 per cent, which is two to three times the legal limit in Ontario.

Police officers who interviewedMuzzoat the scene said he smelled of alcohol, his eyes were glassy, and he tried to use the car to keep his balance. He was also unable to understand instructions from the officers, and urinated on himself.

Traffic and weather conditions were not a factor in the crash.

It was only after he arrived at the police station thatMuzzolearned four people had died, the court heard.

Full responsibility

Muzzowas released on $1-million bailand strict conditions after pleading guilty.

Greenspan has said thatMuzzohas accepted full responsibility for what he did.

At the sentencing hearing,Greenspansubmitted 92 letters of support forMuzzo, from friends, family members, neighbours and co-workers.

Greenspantold the court thatMuzzo'sactions amounted to "a terrible decision made by a very good person."

"It should be clear that theMuzzofamily, and in particular MarcoMuzzo, are heart-stricken by the grief that's been caused,"Greenspansaid.

Muzzo'sfamily owns the drywall companyMarelContractors and is worth nearly $1.8 billion, according to Canadian Business magazine.

Muzzohad never been convicted of a criminal offence until he pleaded guilty on Feb. 4, according to the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.