Mom of slain girls tells court her life is like a nightmare she never wakes from

The court heard more than a dozen witness impact statements Tuesday before the sentencing hearing concluded. Justice Miriam Gropper said she will deliver her sentence Thursday.

Crown counsel Patrick Weir told the court he is seeking 21 to 24 years to be served concurrently before Berry is eligible to apply for parole. Defence counsel Kevin McCullough recommended a sentence ranging from 15 to 20 years.

Berry, 45, was asked if he wanted to address the court at the conclusion of the hearing. He stood and said he had nothing to say.

McCullough told the court on Monday that Berry maintains he did not kill his children and his testimony during the trial was the truth.

Earlier, Berry sat in the prisoner’s box with his head bowed as his former partner read her statement about the loss of her daughters.

“Their hearts were so pure,” Cotton told the court. “Their hearts were so full of love.”

The trial heard each girl had been stabbed dozens of times and left on their beds in Berry’s suburban Victoria apartment. He was found unconscious in the bathtub, suffering stab wounds to his neck and throat.

Berry testified he was attacked because he owed money to a loan shark. But the Crown argued the motive for the murders was Berry’s anger towards his estranged partner, who he believed planned to seek an end to their joint custody of the girls.

Cotton said testifying at the trial was “unbearable and vile.” She said the trial and ongoing media reports about the murders traumatize her daily.

“My identity is gone,” Cotton said. “I am no longer the mother who takes her children to school every day. I feel such an emptiness without them.”

Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence, but parole eligibility can be set between 10 and 25 years.

The judge must also decide if sentences for multiple counts of murder should be served consecutively or concurrently.

Following the verdict in September, six of 12 jurors recommended Berry serve 15 years consecutively before he is eligible for parole on each count; two jurors called for 10 years to be served concurrently; and four jurors made no recommendation.

McCullough said sentencing should take into account that Berry took responsibility for the poor state of his life, especially his large debts, and the affect it had on his daughters.

The court should also consider that Berry had no criminal record prior to being found guilty, he added.

“Mr. Berry says he did not kill the children,” said McCullough. “He simply is not the killer, he says.”

Weir told the judge Berry has shown no remorse and the murders warrant strong denunciation by the court.

“Neither of these children could have fought back or defended themselves against these horrific attacks,” he said. “They were utterly defenceless. These children should have been protected by their father, not murdered by him. The gravity of the crime really cannot be overstated.”

This story by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2019.

Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Mom of slain girls tells court her life is like a nightmare she never wakes from

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