‘A nightmare I can’t wake up from’
Family members read victim impact statements at sentencing hearing for Cody David Michell, guilty of killing a teenage girl during a high-speed drive with stolen truck
A family’s devastation and unending grief was laid bare Wednesday, as the Medicine Hat man who drove a stolen vehicle dangerously through Crescent Heights and ultimately killed an 18-year-old girl had his sentencing hearing.
“It is a nightmare I can’t wake up from, no matter how much I try,” said Angela Passmore, as she and husband Edward held each other for support while reading victim impact statements, speaking about the loss of their daughter Cerys Passmore. “The pain now is just as strong as the day she was killed.”
Sentencing for Cody David Michell was adjourned to June 6, as the judge considers submissions made by Crown and defence.
The Crown requested eight to 10 years, while defence counsel argued for 33 months.
The Crown characterized Michell as an “unreliable historian,” as information he provided for three separate reports for sentencing were often contradicted by others.
“A lot of what Mr. Michell says is self-serving,” said the Crown, questioning Michell’s remorse, as in the report he places blame on his addiction and others. As for future risk, the Crown said the reports say Michell has a “high rate of future recidivism.”
But defence counsel Greg White said there could be multiple reasons for the contradictions — such as Michell’s IQ, which sits between 40 to 58, and that he has permanent brain damage. Michell cannot read or write.
The blame on others is “maybe more of a wish” said White, a desire that things could have been different.
Michell is remorseful, White stressed, reading a letter the accused had dictated to his cellmate where he apologizes to the family for his actions and prays for forgiveness.
Michell has remained in custody since Sept. 11, after he stole a pickup truck, fled at a high rate of speed, caused a collision at the intersection near Crescent Heights High School, then drove extremely fast down 12th Street until colliding with the vehicle Passmore was driving at Parkview Drive. Passmore was pronounced dead at the scene.
When taken to hospital, Michell attempted to pull an officer’s pistol from the holster but was prevented from doing so by the officer and staff. Guilty pleas were also entered for an incident that occurred on Sept. 7, where he pushed down an elderly lady, then spat on police. In both incidents, Michell was using meth.
Cerys’s parents requested “justice” for her, and the longest possible sentence.
“We’re utterly heartbroken,” said Edward, with statements from the victim’s grandparents, older sister, aunt and uncle all echoing this loss.
Both parents spoke of the guilt of not being able to protect their child, and of having to drive every day past the place she was killed.
“Cerys represented all that was good in humankind,” said Angela, with statements from the family describing her as a caring, positive, “cheeky” girl, who loved outdoor adventures, with compassion for animals, and how she was on a “mission to change the world” — and how this, and whatever the future would have brought, was now cut short.
“I’ve been robbed not only of my daughter but my joy of life,” said Angela.
Birthdays and holidays have become “weird numb days,” said Edward, and this Christmas they didn’t put up a tree because that had always been Cerys’s job.
“We found looking at photos of her so painful, we’ve taken them down,” he said — but this also hurts as they miss her so much.
“There is no closure, there is no moving on ... I have a hole in my heart and it will never leave,” said Angela.