Colin Tweedie sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for hit-and-run death of Cape Breton girl

Colin Tweedie has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in federal prison in the 2019 hit-and-run death of 10-year-old Cape Breton girl Talia Forrest.

Tweedie was found guilty on all three charges against him at Sydney Supreme Court on May 17.

He was convicted on counts of dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving causing death and leaving the scene of an accident.

"I don't think it's long enough, of course, but I'm also really glad he didn't walk away free, which he almost did,” said Samantha Williams, Forrest’s older sister.

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At his first trial in March 2022, Tweedie was initially found not guilty on all three charges. The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal overturned that decision in January 2023, and a new trial was ordered.

Forrest and a friend were riding their bikes on the Black Rock Road in Black Rock, N.S., on the night of July 11, 2019, when Forrest was struck by a 2004 Nissan XTerra.

While the Crown asked for jail time, the Defence argued for a conditional sentence to be served in the community.

Justice Kevin Coady said while he felt the accused did show remorse, a prison sentence was necessary for a case that forever changed the lives of so many.

"That's one of the reasons why we expect people -- even without a record -- to go to jail, probably to the penitentiary, when they commit offences like this,” said Crown attorney Darcy MacPherson. "The lower end of the range that we recommended was four-and-a-half years, and that's what he got."

Defence lawyer Tony Mozvik said this was a particularly difficult case.

"I've been spit upon, my daughter was threatened,” he said. "We're going to review the trial and we'll make a determination if we're going to appeal or not. We have 30 days to do that, so we'll see.”

Many in the courtroom were in tears when more than half-a-dozen of Talia Forrest's family and friends read victim impact statements.

Colin Tweedie addressed the court too, apologizing to the victim's family.

"My little sister deserves justice, no matter what it is, she did deserve that. So, yeah, I think it was worth it,” Williams said.

The sentence includes a two-year ban on driving, to be served starting after Tweedie is released from prison.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.