10 years sought for 'worst' of drunk drivers

A Nova Scotia judge will decide if a serial drunk driver with more than 20 convictions for impaired driving should be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

A one-day sentencing hearingon Terry Naugle'slatest convictionwas held Wednesday in Dartmouth provincial court.

In a victim impact statement, 13-year-old Jillian McMillan described how dad David parked their SUV on the side of Highway 102 so he could walk ahead to get gas. She wassitting insidewith mom Julia when Naugle sideswiped the SUV.

"He hit our vehicle and just left and didn't check if we were dead," Jillian told reporters outside court.

Jillian jumped from the SUV screaming, believing it was on fire. No one was hurt.

Naugle, 52, from the Truro area, pleaded guilty in October to impaired driving, leaving the scene of an accident and operating a motor vehicle while prohibited.

He had 22 previous drunk-driving convictions before the March 28 crash.

"My biggest fear is that you in the media are going to call us in five or 10 years, whatever the sentence is, and you're going to say he's killed someone," said Julia McMillan.

'Worst of the worst known offenders.' Crown Attorney Cheryl Byard

The Crown is seeking a sentence of 10 years, minus the 10 months that Naugle has already served at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth.

Prosecutor Cheryl Byard said Naugle was the "worst of the worst known offenders when it comes to impaired drivers in Nova Scotia."

The defence argues that Naugle should be sentenced to four years behind bars with double credit for time served, which would effectively cut his sentence to two years and four months.

Naugle pleaded guilty, defence lawyer Peter Planetta noted, and should get double credit like any other offender.

A decision from Judge Frank Hoskins is expected in two weeks.

The decision will cap a stressful year for the McMillans, who have had to pick up strewn beer bottles in their yard in West Tatamagouche.

"We live in a rural area and find the beer bottles and cans that people have thrown in our driveway sending a message to us to back off, that we want to drink and drive in Nova Scotia," said David McMillan.

"That's the kind of stuff we've dealt with in the last year."