Sentencing next month for man who pleaded guilty in 2008 Mission double murder
'Our family is emotionally crippled,' says mother of one of two victims
The victim impact statements of Guthrie McKay's parents and sister were tearful and emotional at the New Westminster courthouse during the sentencing hearing of Thomas Holden.
Holden was charged with first-degree murder in the 2008 killing of McKay and his girlfriend Lisa Dudley but pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder.
He will be sentenced on Feb. 10.
"How do I describe the hollowness I feel every morning when I wake-up and realize my son is dead," said mother Dorothy McKay.
"My family is emotionally crippled."
Dudley was target
McKay and Dudley had been dating only seven months when they were shot multiple times in their Mission home, but Dudley was the target.
The court was told that in the years leading up to her killing, Dudley had been partners with Holden in an illegal marijuana growing ring, which eventually led to them having an affair.
When Holden refused to leave his wife and their three children, the relationship soured and Dudley demanded property and cash from Holden.
In reading the admissions of fact, Crown counsel Jay Fogel told the court Dudley threatened Holden and his family.
Once she attempted to force Holden's wife's car off the road and another time she boxed her in at a shopping mall parking lot.
Holden had his own plan
Holden hired a hit man for $25,000 to kill Dudley and instructed him 'if her boyfriend is there, kill him too.'
"Unfortunately, in the last seven months of his life he met this girl and inadvertently got drawn in," said Pat McKay of his son Guthrie's involvement with Dudley.
The case made headlines when it was learned an RCMP officer responding to a shots fired call simply drove by the house and never got out of the car.
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McKay died instantly after he was shot three times, but Dudley was left sitting paralyzed in a chair for four days until a neighbour called police again.
She died soon afterwards in hospital.
Family members would like a coroner's inquest into the deaths once the criminal aspects of the case have been completed.
Guilty pleas
Two other men are already in jail in relation to the killlings.
One pleaded guilty to first degree murder and the other pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
In a joint submission, Crown and defence lawyer Mark Jette have recommended Holden be sentenced to 10 years in prison minus time already served.
"I just don't understand how the guy who killed them gets 25 years without parole and the person who paid him to do it gets 10 years," said Pat McKay.