A Florida girl who killed a beloved grandmother in a hit-and-run refused to apologize or acknowledge the sufferer’s household after being sentenced to solely 4 years in jail.
Patricia Garner’s household was in attendance for the sentencing of Sharon Cox on Tuesday after she had pleaded responsible to operating down and killing their beloved one and injuring two others within the parking zone of the Miami Gardens group heart in 2023, NBC 6 reported.
Nonetheless, Cox, 65, stayed silent at sentencing — providing no apology to Garner’s heartbroken household — a second that pissed off kinfolk after months of outcry to verify she was held accountable for her actions.
“Ms. Cox didn’t even arise and say that she was sorry,” Sandra Welch, Garner’s sister-in-law, instructed the outlet exterior the courtroom. “She didn’t say one phrase.”
The household’s outrage over Garner’s loss of life intensified earlier this 12 months once they found Miami-Dade State Legal professional’s prosecutors supplied Cox a plea deal that might solely land her in jail for one 12 months.
Prosecutors later withdrew that plea deal and supplied a brand new settlement calling for 4 years behind bars after the household and group publicly criticized the unique supply.
“It’s a must to battle to your personal beloved one,” Garner’s brother, Bruce Baskin, mentioned.
“The system is just not going to battle for the one you love — it’s a must to battle. Patricia was not right here to battle for herself.”
Even with the revised plea deal, Garner’s household insists the punishment isn’t robust sufficient to ship a message.
“The group must be conscious that individuals are operating over individuals each day and leaving them laying on the road,” Garner’s sister, Allie Mobley, mentioned.
“To get solely the period of time she received for killing her, it hurts.”
Nonetheless, whereas they didn’t obtain an apology from Cox, the household mentioned they’d forgiven her for killing their beloved one.
“I’m a Christian,” Welch instructed the outlet. “However no less than in your coronary heart, simply say that you simply’re sorry. She didn’t even present regret.”
However Mobley mentioned {that a} day doesn’t go by with out your entire household lacking Garner.
“We’ll all the time miss her,” Mobley mentioned.
As a part of the plea deal, Cox will stay on probation for 2 years after her launch.
Her driver’s license has additionally been revoked for 5 years, and he or she will probably be required to attend visitors faculty and full 100 hours of group service.
“For each member of the family in each felony case, the ache of victimization all the time cuts deep,” the Miami-Dade State Legal professional’s workplace instructed NBC 6 in a press release.
“We perceive that although this decision is what the regulation permits on this case and had been accepted by the sufferer’s household, no sentence can ever reduce the lack of a beloved one.”
The workplace added that it hopes Garner’s household “can start their grieving course of and discover peace” now that Cox has been sentenced.
Cox’s legal professional, Andrew Rier, mentioned that the case reached “an applicable decision the place not one of the events concerned had been absolutely glad.”
“This was a troublesome case, a tragic accident, and we hope this finality can carry closure to the sufferer’s household,” he mentioned.
