TORONTO -- Imprisoned drunk driver Marco Muzzo will have his second chance at being granted parole in two months.
A hearing before the Parole Board of Canada is scheduled to take place on April 28 at Beavercreek Minimum Institution in Gravenhurst, Ont., where Muzzo is currently serving his 10-year-sentence.
The sentence was handed down to Muzzo in March 2016 after he caused a deadly crash in Vaughan, Ont. while heading home from Pearson airport. At the time, he was returning from Miami, where he was celebrating his bachelor party.
The 2015 collision claimed the lives of nine-year-old Daniel Neville-Lake, five-year-old Harrison Neville-Lake, two-year-old Milly Neville-Lake, and 65-year-old Gary Neville.
The children’s grandmother and great-grandmother were also seriously injured as Muzzo sped through a stop sign in his Jeep Cherokee and smashed into the family’s mini-van.
Muzzo pleaded guilty to four counts of impaired driving causing death and two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm.
According to an agreed statement of facts read in court, a police officer who responded to the scene observed that Muzzo had glossy eyes, smelled of alcohol and had urinated himself.
A toxicologist discovered that Muzzo was about three times over the legal limit of alcohol consumption while behind the wheel.
On Nov. 7, 2018, Muzzo had his first parole hearing. He was denied both day parole and full parole.
In its decision, the Parole Board of Canada stated that Muzzo “sabotaged” his rehabilitation by “severely underestimating” his problems with alcohol, adding that he failed to seek help while behind bars.
The decision said Muzzo must enter into a treatment program “prior to further consideration of a day or full parole release,” given the severity of the offence.
The parole board did note that Muzzo has participated in voluntary 12-Step programs while incarcerated, but said he opted to not enroll in Alcoholics Anonymous.
At the 2018 hearing, Muzzo vowed that he would never drink again and said that his remorse feels like a life sentence he has put on himself.
He said, at the time, that he still remembers the screams from the scene of the deadly crash.
“It’s something I can’t forget,” Muzzo said.
Jennifer Neville-Lake, the children’s mother, spoke at the 2018 parole hearing through tears. She was seated about two feet away from Muzzo while she showed photos of each of her family members who died in the crash.
After the hearing, she said Muzzo being denied parole was “not a victory” as it “doesn’t change a single thing.” As well, she stated that she does not believe Muzzo has fully accepted what he did.
“You have to accept what you did – own it,” she said. “I didn’t feel that was genuine. I’ve always kind of felt that was something he was told to say.”
After Muzzo was denied parole in 2018, he became eligible to reapply one year later.
