Plea bargain angers tainted water victims
Last Updated: Wednesday, December 1, 2004 | 9:29 AM ET
CBC News
- INDEPTH: Inside Walkerton
Part of the legal deal, to which the Crown agreed, concludes that Stan and Frank Koebel's crimes did not significantly contribute to the water contamination that killed seven people and left 2,500 ill.
The brothers pleaded guilty Tuesday to common nuisance charges, admitting they faked water tests and endangered lives.
- FROM NOV. 30, 2004: Brothers in Walkerton accept plea bargain
Charges of forgery and breach of trust were dropped.
The public nuisance charge, laid if someone fails to carry out a legal duty and endangers the lives, safety, health, property or comfort of the public, carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail.
"I think they should be sentenced to some kind of incarceration," said Jamie McDonald, who gave a victim impact statement Tuesday at the Koebels' sentencing hearing.
McDonald's children became violently ill after drinking town water tainted with a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria.
"Screams of agony will always be ingrained, and to this day, they still have problems with that," he said.
Tom Pearson's mother Edith died what he calls an excruciating death from the dirty drinking water.
He blames the Koebels for not warning the community sooner.
"They were cowardly actions," he said of the Koebels' decision to hide test results showing the water was contaminated even after public health authorities became suspicious about the number of Walkerton residents who were getting sick.
- FROM JAN. 18, 2002: Walkerton report blames province, water managers
"Much of what happened wouldn't have happened had it been addressed in a more timely fashion," said Pearson.
While the Koebels admit to poor management and to misleading officials, the agreed statement of facts in the case concludes that those actions were not significant contributing causes of the deaths and injuries from water contamination.
Regardless of that deal, Pearson said he's convinced he knows who's to blame for his mother's death. He hopes the Koebels go to jail.
"My mother passed away, and she would probably still be here today," he said.
An Ontario Superior Court judge will sentence Stan and Frank Koebel on Dec. 17.
