Mary Riccobene is broken and struggling after losing her daughter Julia and husband Angelo within three years of each other – one to a violent car crash, the other to COVID-19.
“Since losing Jules, I have fallen into a deep depression,” the distraught mother told a Brampton court Friday.
A judge heard a second day of impact statements from family and friends who knew Julia Riccobene, who was 12 when she was killed – along with Miles Jones, 7, and Allison Jones, 47 – by a speeding blue Corvette driven by Paul Manzon on Aug. 4, 2018.
He smashed into their Kia SUV as it turned left at the intersection of Hwy. 50 and Countryside Dr. near Kleinburg Station.
“The light and joy of our lives has been lost because of Mr. Manzon’s selfish choice to speed,” Riccobene told the court, adding her daughter’s death was “completely preventable.”
She also described how grief profoundly altered her husband Angelo after Julia was killed.
He died at 61 of COVID-19 in May 2021 after being in the ICU for three months.
“The happiness of our home is to be no longer,” Riccobene said.
Manzon was convicted Jan. 6 of three counts of dangerous driving causing death and two counts of causing bodily harm.
He was acquitted of five counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm.
Agreed facts stated the Caledon man, 45 at the time and out on a date, had reached 163 km/hr in an 80 km/hr zone.
His passenger was also seriously injured in the violent crash.
A second impact statement Friday was read by Lily Jones, 16, the seriously-injured, lone-survivor who saw her mother, brother and best friend die inside their Kia.
“I’m now a girl with anger, sadness and frustration. Most days I take the blame. I’m not me anymore,” she said told the court through tears.
“Your actions have not only changed the person I have become,” she said to Manzon. “When I look in the mirror I don’t see the same person I dreamed of always being. This incident has not only taken over my life – it has also ruined it.”
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Her father – Michael Jones – was up ahead in a different vehicle on that fateful day and witnessed the collision involving his wife and children as it happened behind him.
Mary Riccobene described needing counseling, psychological help for PTSD, and suffering from nightmares.
“Mr. Manzon, through your selfish actions you have inflicted so much pain in the lives of my family and Julia’s friends,” she said.
Court heard 17 statements – including from in-laws, friends, and even an ICU nurse at Brampton Civic Hospital who tried to save Miles’ life.
Crown and defence lawyers are scheduled to make sentencing arguments Sept. 23 before Judge Nancy Dennison.
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