Through her sobs and tears, the London woman responsible for the hit-and-run that killed 64-year-old Deborah Titus last month pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Wearing jeans and a light grey sweater with her hair pulled back in a bun, Brittany Boyce entered the plea Tuesday at the London courthouse.
Boyce told Justice Wayne Rabley that pleading guilty to the November 21 hit-and-run at Dundas St. and Ashland Ave. was "the right thing to do." She also said she didn't want the court proceedings hanging over the Titus family during the holidays.
The 29-year-old woman, who has a history of drug abuse, was arrested at a home on Florence St. after a week long police search.
In a brief summary of the case, the Crown told the court Boyce approached Titus as she was getting off of her motorized scooter November 21 in the parking lot of an east London dental office. Boyce asked Titus for change for a $50 bill. Titus didn't give Boyce any money, but she opened her purse revealing a large amount of cash meant to pay for dental work.
Boyce followed Titus into the office where she snatched her purse and took off with the 64-year-old and a dental employee giving chase. Boyce hopped into the driver's side of an SUV, but Titus was able to get the door open. During the scuffle that ensued, Boyce put the vehicle in reverse and hit Titus with the front driver's side wheel. The SUV dragged the dental office employee a short distance as it made its getaway.
Titus died from her injuries, while the employee was treated for minor injuries. Video surveillance obtained after the fatal hit-and-run will be shown at Boyce's sentencing.
"I didn't know anybody got hit. I didn't know anybody got hurt until days later," Boyce told the court Tuesday.
Weeping from the prisoner's box, Boyce cried "it's so painful. I can't imagine what [Titus' family] is going through."
Rabley indicated it was likely Boyce would not only serve jail time, but would also have her driver's license taken away.
"I don't think I ever want to drive again anyway," she replied.
A pre-sentence report has been ordered ahead of the sentencing. Boyce's lawyer Jim Dean said he and the Crown are trying to work out a joint sentencing submission.
"It is such a unique set of circumstances that there really isn't much precedent as far as case law goes," said Dean. "So we are going to have to sit down and put our heads together, do our research and figure out what an appropriate sentence is. Certainly, it is a penitentiary sentence but we will figure out the numbers as we go on."
Dean told reporters outside of the courthouse that the guilty plea made only a month after the fatal incident is a clear sign of Boyce's remorse.
"I have known Brittany for a couple of years. She is a young lady who had a normal life at one point. She's a mother, was somebody's neighbour, a wife. She had a regular life but unfortunately got involved in drugs and it led down the path that it quite often does and that is why we ended up with a stolen purse turn into a manslaughter charge," said Dean.
Donna Titus and Bob Chemney
Titus’ brother Bob Chemney and her daughter Donna Titus were in court for the guilty plea.
"[Boyce] was crying for herself," said Donna Titus. "She was my mom and I loved her lots. It is just hard to see somebody who is crying that doesn't seem like it is meaningful."
She described her mother as kind-hearted, loving, and the type of person who would give a stranger the shirt off her back.
Despite the guilty plea which spares the Titus family the pain of a trial, Titus said "our hearts are still going to be broken and things are not ever going to be the same."
Boyce will be sentenced on February 14.
