Colin Tweedie sentenced to 4½ years in Cape Breton hit and run that killed girl

Colin Tweedie has been sentenced to 4½ years in prison in the hit-and-run death of 10-year-old Talia Forrest.

The decision came down on Friday afternoon, about five years after Talia was struck by an SUV while out for a bike ride on Black Rock Road in Big Bras d’Or in 2019.

After the decision was read, Samantha Williams, Talia’s sister, told reporters the result was bittersweet.

“I don’t think it’s long enough, of course. But I’m also really glad that he didn’t walk away free, which he almost did,” she said.

Tweedie was found guilty in May of dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving causing death and leaving the scene of an accident.

Sentencing follows second trial

While Tweedie was initially acquitted in 2022, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal overturned the acquittal, saying the judge in that case “committed errors of law.”

During the second trial, court heard that it was dark at the time the child was struck and Tweedie thought he had hit a deer. But the judge in the case disagreed.

Williams said that while the sentencing does bring a sense of closure, there are still things she and the rest of Talia’s family have to work through, after what she said was a process filled with “a lot of court trials, emotions, a lot to deal with.”

“I think we’re just going to focus on the good now that all this is out of the way, the fighting for her justice,” Williams said. “Now that’s done, I think that we can try to move on and remember Talia as what she was.”

Tweedie’s sentencing was on the “lower end of the range” that was recommended by Crown prosecutors, according to Darcy MacPherson, the senior Crown counsel. MacPherson added that both the Crown and the defence asked for a five-year driving prohibition after the custodial period. The court, however, issued a two-year driving prohibition.

‘A unique case’

MacPherson went on to say he hopes the decision sends a message about the dangers of drinking and driving.

“When an accident like this happens and a child dies, that doesn’t mean the child’s the only victim,” he said. “It has profound effects not just on family, but on neighbours, on people who were friends with the victim, and they all get to say what effect it had on them.”

Tony Mozvik, Tweedie’s lawyer, said his team was looking for a shorter sentence but the decision is in line with offences of this nature. He called it “a unique case” due to the length of the trial and the fact that the same evidence was reviewed by two different judges and yielded two very different results.

On a personal level, he said the case was an “ugly” one, particularly after Tweedie’s initial acquittal two years ago.

“I’ve been spit upon. My daughter was threatened. It was just an ugly, ugly case in the community,” Mozvik said. “I was under police surveillance. I was told not to leave my house after the first verdict for the weekend.”

He added that the defence team would be reviewing the decision before making a determination on whether to appeal.