© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Darrell Brooks seems in Waukesha County Court docket in Waukesha, Wisconsin, U.S. November 23, 2021. Mark Hoffman/Pool by way of REUTERS/File Photograph
By Brendan O’Brien
(Reuters) -A Wisconsin man convicted of killing six individuals and injuring dozens extra when he drove by a Christmas parade close to Milwaukee final 12 months was sentenced to life in jail with out the potential for parole on Wednesday.
Waukesha County Circuit Court docket Decide Jennifer Dorow handed down six consecutive life jail phrases to Darrell Brooks, 40, who was discovered responsible on Oct. 26 of 76 prison counts, together with six counts of intentional murder.
The decide symbolically added at the very least one other 1,067 years to the life sentences to underscore the severity of the crimes for which she stated Brooks confirmed “no regret, no empathy.”
“Some individuals select a path of evil. And I feel, Mr. Brooks, you might be a type of such individuals,” Dorow stated, including that video proof introduced at trial “saved me up at night time.”
Brooks intentionally drove a sport utility automobile by police barricades final November and plowed into crowds of individuals collaborating within the annual parade in Waukesha, about 15 miles (25 km) west of downtown Milwaukee.
Brooks, shackled whereas carrying an orange jail uniform, acted as his personal legal professional and spoke for 2 hours earlier than the sentencing. He briefly acknowledged the victims whereas largely detailing his want for psychological well being therapy.
“I need you to know that not solely I’m sorry for what occurred, I’m sorry that you simply can not see what is actually in my coronary heart and the regret in my coronary heart,” Brooks stated as he wept throughout his assertion in a packed courtroom.
The decide beforehand discovered that 4 separate psychological and psychiatric evaluations decided he was competent to face trial.
The 2-day sentencing listening to started on Tuesday when dozens of relations of these killed and injured together with victims who survived the incident instructed the court docket about their family members and confronted Brooks. Many spoke of struggling survivor’s guilt and submit traumatic gown dysfunction that for some is triggered by the sound of a siren or screeching tires.
“In the present day is our day. In the present day is for us. In the present day is so we are able to take our handful of dust, throw it on his grave and transfer on,” stated Chris Owen, whose mom Leanna Owen, 71, died within the assault.
Leanna Owen was performing together with her troupe often known as the Dancing Grannies when she was struck and killed. 5 others, together with an 8-year-old boy, had been killed within the incident whereas greater than 60 others had been injured, together with at the very least 18 youngsters.