A woman who struck a young girl in a Saanich crosswalk in December 2017, leaving her with life-changing injuries, is back in court today.
In January Tenessa Nikirk, 27, was found guilty of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, but a sentencing hearing scheduled for April was delayed due to COVID-19, and began instead in September.
Then it was delayed again to late October, and a further delay resulted to allow for a pre-sentence psychiatric assessment to assist at the sentencing hearing.
During trial the court heard Nikirk had sent 18 text messages in the 24 minutes prior to her SUV hitting 11 year old Leila Bui (bwee) in the crosswalk at Torquay and Ash Rd throwing her 26 metres.
Dashcam footage also shows the vehicle passing cars, crossing the yellow line, and the speedhas been estimated at over 100 kms an hour in the 50 zone.
The Crown is asking for a 3 to 5 year prison sentence and a 5 year driving ban. Nikirk’s lawyer is asking for a 90-day intermittent sentence to be served on weekends.