David Gillis, front from left, and Karen Gillis, whose 19-year-old daughter Mallory Gillis died in a single-vehicle crash last year, stand outside the Sydney Justice Centre on Thursday after the driver of the car pleaded guilty to four charges. They are joined by their daughter’s friends Ravyn Howard, from left, Lauren MacDonald and Logan Cloake. Chris Connors/Cape Breton PostArticle contentThe mother of a young Cape Breton woman who was killed in a car crash last year says the driver of the vehicle should have faced more serious charges.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentKaren Gillis’s 19-year-old daughter Mallory Gillis died on Nov. 9, 2024, when a car driven by her friend rolled over near her home in Howie Centre. Gillis and a male passenger were ejected from the vehicle while the driver, Connell Jason MacArthur, 19, of Sydney River, was trapped inside. All three were transported to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital where Gillis was pronounced dead.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentOn Friday, MacArthur pleaded guilty in Sydney provincial court to four charges: dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death; dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm; impaired driving causing death; and impaired driving causing bodily harm. The Crown dropped four other charges.Article contentGillis said the guilty pleas came too late to bring the family any comfort and that MacArthur shouldn’t be shown leniency.Article content“If he would have pled guilty the first day we showed up in court, yeah. Not because he got a lawyer and now he has to do it because that’s just where we’re at. He’s one driver. There was no other option but to be guilty. So, not pleading guilty right off the hop, I don’t think he should have any kind of pat on the back because he pleaded guilty, which is what he’s going to get for it,” she told the Cape Breton Post outside the courthouse.Article contentArticle content“We’re not gonna see the justice that we should get.”Article contentArticle contentGillis said described her daughter as lively and energetic person who was entering the prime of her life. After graduating from Riverview High School she enrolled in the cosmetology program at the local Nova Scotia Community College campus and was nearing completion when she died.Article content“She was the spunk in the house. Everything is so different without her there. She was loving life like there was no other, having the best time, getting her career started. She was just, she was in a great place,” she said.Article content‘HUGE LESSON’Article contentThe family created the Mallory Gillis Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to a Riverview graduate attending the same cosmetology program. The first recipient, Kennedie Geizer, turned out to be a friend of Mallory.
‘We’re not going to see the justice,’ says mother of Cape Breton woman killed in car crash
