A Guelph man who admitted to being involved in two hit-and-run crashes, one where a cyclist died, has been sentenced to 15 months behind bars.
With credit for pre-sentence custody, John Simpson-Bard has 143 days remaining to serve.
Simpson-Bard admitted to being behind the wheel of the vehicle that struck Susan Bard while she was cycling on Victoria Road North in Guelph on Sept. 5, 2024. Simpson-Bard and Bard are not related.
Justice Nicole Redgate described how bystanders tried to help the victim, who was unresponsive on the ground, while Simpson-Bard failed to stop after the crash.
“He didn’t offer assistance and at no point did he call for help. He carried about his day while Susan Bard lay dying on the road,” the judge said during sentencing.
Bard died the following day, which was also her 79th birthday.
Justice Redgate noted that Simpson-Bard plead guilty, sparing the court and Bard’s family a trial. She also noted he had longstanding addictions to alcohol and cocaine which he wished to address. “I accept both his remorse and his desire to address his addiction issue as genuine,” the judge said.
About three weeks after the fatal crash, in the early morning hours of Sept. 28, Simpson-Bard was once again behind the wheel of a vehicle when he hit another vehicle, causing a rollover. He fled to Bagot Street and was arrested about an hour later.
He has been in police custody since that second hit-and-run.
Justice Redgate gave him enhanced credit for time served, noting he had spent about half of his time at Maplehurst Correctional Centre in lockdown and, most of it, triple bunked.
Simpson-Bard was sentenced to 13 months for leaving the scene of the crash that killed Susan Bard, and two months for the incident with the parked car, for a total of 15 months.
In addition to time behind bars, Simpson-Bard has been handed a five-year driving ban.
Justice Redgate told the court: “The public is best protected when Mr. Simpson-Bard is not driving.”
Simpson-Bard will also be on probation for two years and is subject to a DNA order.
Remembering Susan
The sentencing comes as Bard’s family continues to grieve her loss.
“My mom was giving. My mom was joy,” daughter Corinna Matteliano told CTV News, outside the courthouse, following the decision.
She said going through the court process was a reminder of how unfair life can be.
“Because, in all honesty, I ouldn’t care about the jail sentence. I would just want my mom back.”
Matteliano said her mom’s outlook on life has guided the family through some the difficult days. She hopes Simpson-Bard will see the sentencing as an opportunity for change.
“One thing that we discussed as a family was that our mom, she was a forgiving woman, and she would have forgiven him. We need to somehow find it in ourselves. It’s not going to happen today. But, you know, maybe further down the line now that we have this as closure.”
Bard’s loss is still felt throughout the community. Shortly after her death, the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation held a ghost ride in her honour and installed a pure white bicycle near the crash site in memory of a woman they referred to as a tireless advocate.
Justice Nicole Redgate called the death of Susan Bard one that impacts the entire community. “She was valued, and it is clear that she is both loved and missed by those who knew her,” the judge said during sentencing.
