Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 21, 1994, Winnipeg, Manitoba Inside Sto Winnipeg free press september 25 years wont wipe away Mcconnell Giris say statement Given by Kim Mcconn Tell after the verdict behalf of my two Hannon and Meaghen i have been asked by them to share some of their com ments with the both girls feel that 25 years is what the Law has decided is Justice for first degree Shannon and Meaghen have indeed suffered a great a huge portion of their life that a 25year penalty could never my spoke from her and i i saw my Mother shot by Jim nightmares Are now a part of my my Mother will never have the Joy of being Mother of the my was going to walk me Down the who will share my childhood memories with my children Only a grandmother could do i have lost my sight in my left Eye and some in my right i have no sense of smell or ill never be Able to smell a taste the flavor of roasted these things Many take for i at 16 years old must live Jim Bomson took the most precious gifts from me and ten me with the fear to live the fear that i no longer have the Freedom i once in 16 years since May have not one Day Foft i May be 16 Yean but i feel like a Small i needed my Mother and brother but Jim Bridson took their Twentyfive years is Justice within the but deep within my heart no amount of time imposed can do True my spoke and i quote when people ask me what i be Ion m of Fly Newt i Ion my Fly Ben person who loved me no mutter a big by Otto or who always my i gel angry then sadness fills my i have i will never feel my mothers Strong arms Mitiff i my j it slut ii Uuno me when i in in ten is most of the Jim Bridson took the Security the love of my Mother to take care of help me with i am id scared of men i have to sleep with a Little win Dow in my in just 14 years have no no i thank god years and holding four Days Nannon for murdering my me in a Cement mixer is onry Juttee by in 25 i still will not have my Mother or i will still have the memories of that awful id still have no Mother to hug and no brother to share sleepless tears of lonely i didst even have 25 years to love my Mother of As my team my heart knows 25 Watt Onomy my tragedy is i will Start because i know my Mother and brother watch me from misread pal says thought gun a show of bravado Batree Nathan staff reporter life sentences for Bridson a1 Marjorie son Christopher were killed on May sister Shannon was the Man who drove Jim Brid son on the night he murdered two people in flin flon said he let Bridson walk into the victims apartment carrying a gun so Brid son lose David Bridsong former said in an inter View he thought he was merely see ing a show of bravado when Bridson got out of the car behind Mcisaac school on the night of May took a semiautomatic Rifle from the trunk and walked off into the the school is behind the apart ment Complex where three people were shot that two of them a i Hes going to go through the Hes going to take off with the gun and Hes going to show up later and everything go ing to you Vancoughnett said in a Telephone inter View this int my fault but things we rent that Marjorie Mcconnell and her son Christopher were her daughter Shannon was seriously it int my i didst believe him if i i would probably have told my Girlfriend to Call the police and Tell them to pull me says he helped Bridson write his will earlier that listened to his friends plans to kill the Mcconnell family and drove him to the but he was never charged in connection with the in june the provincial Crown attorneys office said it didst have enough evidence to show Vancoughnett had any intention of As sisting Crown spokesman Michael wat son said the Only evidence he received from police at that time was from interviews with Vancoughnett and some information from the other two people in Vancoughnett apartment that night his girl Friend and a male the obligations of Justice Are Dif Ferent than Public we dont look at whether he ought to have known or if he was incredibly Watson argued Friend knew during Bridsong defence lawyer Richard Wolson argued that Vancoughnett knew about the Mur Ders and even claimed he was in the Mcconnell House that Bridsong Philip said he asked his son to move out of the family Home Days before the murders because he disapproved of his sudden Friendship with Van the two were together nearly every Day since they met in March Bridson at the Vancoughnett was working As a casual labourer for arc tic beverages in flin he shared Bridsong interest in cars and the two men became immediate he was an All right you Vancoughnett said of his mom seemed a bit overprotective but his whole family seemed Vancoughnett and now spent a lot of time together work ing on Bridsong 1990 Chevelle in his parents garage and Vancoughnett spent the night at the Bridsong Home several he the two men appear to have More in common than Vancoughnett said he cad his own problems with Marjorie the Mother of Bridsong a girl Meaghen he said Marjorie Mcconnell was friends with the family of Vancoughnett Tina and had told Prudens aunt that she didst like the idea of Pruden dating she said i was Vancoughnett about two months before the Mur Vancoughnett said he and some friends including Bridson Mcconnells car out of we did a Bunch of things Over a we put eggs in the potatoes in the exhaust readjusted the it want my intention to kill i just wanted to in convenience he like Vancoughnett has a history of he was questioned by Wolson during the trial about a pistol whipping incident five years Vancoughnett had hit his younger brother in the head with the butt of his fathers handgun during a he was never like Vancoughnett had a difficult when i was a kid i had a hyperactive i was on ritalin until about Grade then i sort of outgrew during his High school Vancoughnett turned to illegal drugs marijuana and i was into it pretty like i was using it every he like Vancoughnett spent time in the he joined when he was 17 and was discharged two years after he was injured in a car pedestrian How can we prevent such violence again by Kevin Rollason staff reporter now that Philip James Brid son has been convicted of first degree people Are beginning to Analyse what happened in flin they want to try to prevent such violent acts from happening one conclusion seems ludicrously no one should deliver a gun toting person who is threaten ing to kill someone to the scene of a that what Bridsong Dave Vancoughnett said in court that he didst think then would carry out his not charged just before Bridsong preliminary hearing earlier this the Crown decided it would not charge Vancoughnett with being an accessory to the Waltraud president of the Manitoba association of Wom ens said the incident shows in dramatic fashion that peo ple should take any threat you never should ignore when somebody says there going to kill she you Call the authorities and Hope they can do something before some thing Grieger said there Are lessons that All Manitoban can learn from the we need to realize violence is out there in All she she said one place to begin work ing on preventing violence is in the school i see kids that Are so angry these Days that it scares we need to Start working with kids and you have a right to be but not to Hurt someone and certainly not to kill t i hey need to be told lifes too there Are lots of people who will say no to you have to Deal with it pending the conclusion of Proba ble outstanding questions about the role of the ramp and oth ers in flin flon May be answered during an inquiry announced by pre Mier Gary Fumon within Days of the shootings last whenever a tragedy of this nature i think it is incumbent on those who Are in a position of responsibility to examine their actions when there has been Contact with a variety of different government de Filmon said at the questions were raised at the time about Why the ramp didst seize the gun from Bridson before the shoot ing when his family complained to them about there were also questions about Why the ramp took Bridson in for told him he would be charged with sexual As Sault of Meaghen then released Bridsong parents repeat edly implored the flin flon school division to give More help to their troubled ramp Wyman Sangster said monday that a review of the ramps handling of the investigation would be dependent on judge Jeffrey Oliphant closing remarks in sentencing if Oliphant makes comments about the ramps a review will begin Sangster reassessment a provincial govern ment spokesman said the need for a provincial inquiry will be reassessed to see if any issues Are still outstanding after the but Grieger said an inquiry is still needed to find put what if Bridsong family was Given when they asked for it before the shoot Liberal Justice critic Gary Kowal ski said the shootings by who reportedly didst have a fire Arm acquisition lends weight to Federal Justice minister Allan rocks proposal that All fire arms be if All firearms had to be registered and if you didst have ready Access to tragedies like this could be Kowalski As for the Mcconnell we Are ail going to try to put our lives Back together and Start the Healing throughout the last 16 we have had help from Many our thanks to the Crown Jack Montgomery and Vic Manitoba mental and a special thanks to our victims services Heather Shannon and Meaghen and the entire Mcconnell family have appreciated the dedication and emotional support that Heather has Given to father insists son was set up Batree Nathan staff reporter Philip Bridson Doest have any his son Jim didst kill Marjorie and Christopher he he was set Bridson said in an interview from flin flon Jim Bridsong Richard argued in the trial that it was Bridsong David who killed the Mother and brother of Bridsong a Girlfriend and seriously wounded her Bridsong father painted a picture of his 19yearold son As a naive teenager who was manipulated by the older Vancoughnett and ignored by an educational system that failed to meet his special Bridson said he and his wife Kaneto nothing about their sons relationship with Meaghen then until about month before the May although friends say the two began seeing each other in late he was liked by the he was like part of the Bridson but he said he and his didst approve of the relationship because of Meaghen and talked to Jim about ending the he want understood it should he but friends Tell a different Derek Van said one night in he was with Jim Bridson at a friends House when he got into a fight with Meaghen Mother Marjorie on the Telephone when she told him to leave her daughter you could hear her More than you could hear Van Meer James Philip Bridson had a troubled while the family lived in in 1987 and jims Mother went to school Board officials Over and Over asking for special education programs for him because of his dyslexia and attention to raise Money for easter 34 people pedalled the streets of the Seal society is one of Manitoba most important just ask Amanda Klassen of Amanda benefits from occupational and physical therapy at the society for Manitoban with disabilities a health care organization that provides rehabilitative services through easter volunteers from Royal Bank and other businesses in the Community turned out to ride the worlds largest bicycle through the streets of Winnipeg to raise Money for it was All part of Royal Bank rides for easter seals a special event the Bank organized to celebrate its 125th anniversary and to help easter Seal Money raised from the ride will help like do some of the things they always wanted to but wed like to thank All the bicycle the people of Winnipeg and easter seals for giving children the help they Royal Bank ;