Lock this guy up and throw away the key
Drunk Driving Defendant Sobs at Sentencing, Then Makes Nasty Comment to Victim's Daughter
The Associated Press
Published: May 19, 2005
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - A drunk driver being sentenced for a fatal crash sobbed and expressed remorse on the witness stand - then made a nasty remark to the victim's daughter as he was leaving the courtroom.
Donald Hawkins, 32, of Chunchula, Ala., received the maximum 15-year prison sentence Wednesday for drunken driving manslaughter. He had pleaded guilty in the crash that killed Mary Archer, 64, in December 2003 when he ran a stop sign while speeding in a 35 mph zone.
Trembling on the stand, Hawkins talked about his "tragic mistake" and said he had stopped drinking.
But as he was turning to leave the courtroom after learning his sentence, Hawkins told one of the victim's daughters, "I hope this happens to one of your children."
Relatives were shocked by the comment from the handcuffed defendant.