Sorrow, despair fill victim statements at Prosa sentencing

Wrenching victim impact statements riveted a Toronto courtroom on Friday at the sentencing for a man found guilty of deadly impaired driving.

"Sometimes I wonder if God made me laugh so much during the 21 years of our marriage because I will be crying for the rest of my life," Antonette Wijeratne said in a statement.

Wijeratne suffered severe injuries and both her husband, Jayantha, 49, and their 16-year-old daughter, Eleesha, died when Sabastian Prosa's SUV hit their minivan head-on.

Prosa, who was 19 at the time, had been driving the wrong way on Highway 427 in the early hours of Aug. 5, 2012.

Brian Wijeratne told the court he can barely function without his father and sister.

"My life feels like a deteriorating mess. I had to grow up way too fast," he wrote.

"Since they've been gone I can't remember a single bright day," his statement also said.

Lakshan Wijeratne said he has seen firsthand the impact of the deaths of his uncle and cousin. The large close knit family no longer mark special occasions like Christmas, he said.

'Everything changed'

"We used to do everything at their house my uncle and cousin were literally the life of the party. Everything changed since that day,"

Prosa's blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit, according to an agreed statement of facts entered in court.

In late June he was found guilty of 12 charges, including impaired driving causing death.

The judge in the case, Justice Glenn Hainey, said Prosa's testimony was both not credible and troubling. He characterized Prosa as having a "selective memory" and said that he "tailored his evidence to support his defence."

Prosa's lawyer will make his submissions for sentencing next week.