Deal Reached in Sinden-Hanson Case - Major Charges Dropped

Source: Simcoe Reformer

ONTARIO - Sentencing will be held in January for a Norfolk County man who drove over a high school cheerleader on a back road in June 2008, leaving the Simcoe Composite School student dead.

Matthew Sinden-Hanson, 19, pleaded guilty yesterday in a Simcoe courtroom to driving with a blood-alcohol limit over the legal limit and dangerous driving.

More serious charges of impaired driving causing death and leaving the scene of a collision were dropped in a deal struck between the Crown and defence while a full courtroom waited four hours for Sinden-Hanson's trial to begin.

In a statement of facts read to the court following the delay, Crown Attorney Gregory Smith said there was "no reasonable prospect" of getting a conviction on the more serious charges.

The victim, Samantha Aspden, a popular cheerleader at Simcoe Composite School, had left a party at her home near Teeterville at about 1:25 a.m. to walk to a nearby cemetery to visit her father's grave, was wearing dark clothes, and was "low to the pavement" at the time of the crash, Smith said.

The court heard that Sinden-Hanson drank about six beers that night with friends near Delhi and was returning to his parents' farm on the north end of the county when he struck Aspden.

Breathalyser tests registered 103 and 90 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

Aspden was hit about 80 metres from her home. Witnesses from the party said Sinden-Hanson's car "vaulted" over top of Aspden's body and caused sparks after landing on the pavement. One witness was forced to jump in the ditch as the car passed.

"Other witnesses said he made no effort to brake," Smith said.

Sinden-Hanson kept on driving to his parents' home, Smith said, because he didn't realize "the severity of what happened."

After he got home, he told his parents that he "did something." His father found damage to the car and, after hearing sirens nearby, drove him to a police checkpoint that had been set up.

Sinden-Hanson was crying at the scene, said Smith, and said "'Why would someone be laying on the road' . . . He said he didn't know what he had hit."

Smith told Judge Brian Stead the Crown believes "alcohol contributed" to Aspden's death while the defence disagrees.

Sinden-Hanson was unsteady on his feet, smelled of alcohol, and slurred his speech at the crash scene, Smith said.

Defence lawyer Mike McArthur told Stead that the dangerous driving charge applies to his client's actions after hitting Aspden's body, not before.

It was an emotional day in court.

About a dozen Aspden's friends and family members wore lapel buttons with her photo on them.

After the court session, Aspden's mother went up to Sinden-Hanson's parents, shook their hands, and talked to them before embracing a police officer.

Outside the courtroom, McArthur said his client found himself in "completely tragic circumstances that we all could find ourselves in."

He called the case "a cautionary tale for youths in the area."

Dangerous driving carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 13.

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Original Story  [Jun 15 2008]

Simcoe Composite School is bracing itself for a day of shock and grief after one of its cheerleaders was killed Sunday morning by what police say was a drunk driver.

Educators recalled Samantha Aspden, 18, as being a bubbly, positive and outgoing person who battled to remain high-spirited following the death of her father during her first year of high school.

Aspden was two weeks away from graduating from high school and had planned to become a paramedic.

"She was just absolutely full of life and enthusiasm," said SCS principal Helene High. "She had an incredible zest for life."

Norfolk OPP say Aspden was walking down the road she lived on, County Road 19, west of Teeterville at about 1:30 a.m. when she was struck by an eastbound car.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say the driver initially fled and then returned about half an hour later when he was arrested.

Aspden was part of a successful cheer team at SCS that went on to compete at county, provincial and national meets. In February 2007, the team went to Hawaii and performed at the NFL Pro Bowl.

"She was a very gentle spirit," said her coach Tanya Borghese. "She was always encouraging or helping out."

She was also generous, said Borghese.

After the team was done eating pizza while sitting on the beach in Hawaii, Aspden asked for the leftover pieces. She then delivered them to homeless people she had spotted sitting nearby, Borghese said.

"That's Sammy. That was nothing unusual."

SCS will hold its year-end assembly today and then students will enter exams.

"I can't imagine what the next couple of weeks will be like," High said.

A team of grief counsellors will be on hand at the school, she said.

Last week, SCS lost teacher Mike Whiton to leukemia while another student died earlier this year of cancer.

The death of Aspden will hit hard, High said.

"What do you say for something as senseless and as useless and as devastating as this?" she asked.

Charged with impaired driving causing death, drunk driving, failing to remain at the scene of a collision, and dangerous driving is Matthew Sinden-Hanson, 18, of Windham Road 2.