Wednesday, February 3, Sentenced for March 1991 crash; 10-year driving suspension added to jail term A WEST Vancouver man who saw his wife struck and killed by a sports car two years ago said Monday the car’s driver should face capital punishment. Instead, Laverne Darrell Vanlerberghe, a 51-year-old fire retardant salesman, was sentenced to two years less a day and given a 10-year driving suspension Monday in B.C. Supreme Court after being convicted of criminal negligence causing death last month. Rudolf Von Schlack, 63, witnessed the fatal accident in which Vanlerberghe’s Mazda RX-7 sports car veered off Marine Drive at 19th Street in West Vancouver in March 1991. The car mounted a sidewalk, struck Ingaborg Von Schlack, 56, before crashing into a nearby Esso gas station pump and bursting in- to flames. "As the Bible says, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,’ Von Schlack told the News after the sentencing. “‘Our system is rotten. Our society is rotten.”” . In. passing sentence, Supreme Court Mr. Justice Donald Clancy noted that Vanlerberghe’s driving habits hadn't improved. : Since the accident, Vanlerberghe B.C. By Cheryl Ziola Contributing Writer has racked up two driving of- fences: one for speeding and one for disobeying a traffic control sign. Vanlerberghe’s past criminal re- cord includes fraud, theft, narcot- ics possession and break and enter. Although Clancy acknowledged that the recent traffic offences and past criminal convictions did not show a ‘lengthy and flagrant display of erratic driving,’’ the judge said they showed an ‘‘anti- social behavior and strong disregard for the law.” Vanlerberghe also faces a charge of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in connection with the police recov- ery of 22 grams of cocaine follow- ing the fatal car accident. Vanlerberghe’s trial on the co- caine charge is scheduled to begin in March. Although it was never proved é& As the Bible says, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Our system is rotten. Our society is rotten. 99 during the criminal negligence trial that Vanlerberge was actually im- paired at the time of the accident, Clancy admonished Vanlerberghe for ingesting cocaine prior to the crash. “Your conduct ... led to the death of an innocent person ... a woman who: was doing. nothing more dangerous than walking along the sidewalk,’ Clancy told Vanlerberghe before imposing the sentence. Vanlerberghe’s lawyer, Joel Gold, had earlier asked the judge for a sentence ranging from six to 18 months; Crown counsel Mike Luchenko called for a jail term of between three and five years. In his final submission, Gold 'V man disappears, again Businessman missing after dropping off son at school A WEST. Vancouver businessman who was allegedly abducted last month has gone missing again. By Surj Rattan - News Reporter West Vancouver police Staff Sgt. Gunter Wahl said Andrzej Lassota-Foksowicz, 42,. of 1055 ’ Groveland Rd., West Vancouver, was last seen on the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 27. He was -driving-a 1992 green two-door’ Lexus 400 with B.C. licence plate number TCN-769. Wahl said Tuesday that the police had no new information in the case. . in January, Lassota-Foksowicz told the police that three suspects ..in’ an older model, dark-colored _ Mercedes Benz forced. him from WEST VANCOUVER police are searching for Andrzej Lassota-Fokscwicz. his vehicle at gunpoint into their - vehicle in the British Properties on Monday, Jan. 25.. He was later released uninjured near Colwood on Vancouver Island about six hours after his ordeal began. At that time, the police suspected that Lossota-Foksowicz had been released in a botched kidnapping attempt. In the latest incident, the police believe that Lossota-Foksowicz was abducted on Jan, 27 after dropping his son off at a West Vancouver high school. The police said Lossota- Foksowicz was supposed to meet with them ‘after dropping his son off at the school about the earlier abduction ‘incident, but that he failed to turn up. Lossota-Foksowicz is described as being 6’ 6°’ tall (185 cm), weighing 220 Ibs. (100 kg), with brown hair and blue eyes. He speaks with a Polish accent. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the West. Vancouver Police Department at 922-4141. Son charged with mother’s murder A 53-YEAR-old West Vancouver man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the beating death Thursday, Jan. 28, of his 83-year-old mother. Michael. Boyd McCune, of 1485 Ottawa Ave., called 9-1-1 shortly after 3 a.m. to report the death of his mother. The West Vancouver Police ar- _. tived at the scene at 3:22 a.m. to : find Barbara McCune wrapped in . blankets outside the house. The . suspect was with his mother and was arrested at the scene. #4 Budget Beaters... Business ........ Editorial Page ... Frugal Gourmet . 1 Lifestyles........ By Michael Becker News Reporter The police have recovered no weapon. A subsequent autopsy revealed that Barbara McCune died of in- ternal injuries. McCune is the brother of Pro- vince newspaper columnist and Mailbox B North Shore Now fa Sports ........... fA TV Listings ...........43 1 What's Going On ...:..44 Printed on 10% recycled newsprint .15 former North Shove News editor Shane McCune. In.a prepared release, the col- umnist said his brother was the sole caregiver of his mother for the past 14 years. A neighbor said the woman was senile. Her elder son, who he described as ‘‘nice but strange,’’ spent his time scouring the neigh- borhood collecting discarded goods, McCune has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to ap- pear in West Vancouver provincial court on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Weather Thursday, Friday, rain. Highs 10°C. Lows 3°C. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238 — Rudolf Von Schlack argued that Vanlerberghe should have a lighter sentence because he showed remorse and co-operated with the police. Gold added that the tragic cir- cumstances of the victim should not decide the jail term. He said that there is no proof that ‘‘the longer Mr. Vanlerberghe should go to jail, the better off Mr. Von Schiack, the surviving husband, would be.”’ In his final submission, Luchenko told Clancy he was suspicious of Vanlerberghe’s glow- ing reference letters submitted to the court that day. “They paint a picture that is somewhat different,’’ Luchenko said, referring to Vanlerberge’s past criminal. record that seemed “‘symptomatic”” of someone with a severe drug problem. Gold objected to the reference of a cocaine problem. “He made far too much of it...possession of a narcotic in- respect to the accident,’’ Gold said. ‘‘That’s a huge Jeap and bound to say Vanlerberghe was perhaps not a good and. decent person because jie was in posses- sion of cocaine. “¥ don’t think” my friend (Luchenko) has been to too many Hollywood parties.” Prompting a chuckle throughout the cuurt, Luchenko immediately responded: ‘‘None whatsoever, for the record.”’ Gold said Monday that he had had no instructions from his client to appeal the sentence. An appeal must be launched within 30 days. NEWS photo Brad Lodwidge CONE AT the Quay: Jake Beetstra enjoys some ice cream at Lonsdale Quay Market on a’sunny afternoon. _ BC Rail negotiating purchase BC RAIL. is with Vancouver Vancouver waterfront minal. A spokesman for BC Rail con- firmed Tuesday that the two North Vancouver-based com- panies are currently discussing the possible purchase by BC Rail of the Vancouver Wharves’ site at the south foot of Capilano Road. “Discussions concerning the possible acquisition of Vancouver Wharves by BC Rail have been taking place for the last several months,”’ said the spokesman. She declined to release any more information. Vancouver ter- negotiating Wharves - Ltd. to purchase the North : .Wharves officials could not be reached for comment to press time Tuesday. Last year, Vancouver Wharves handled five million tonnes’ of cargo. It specializes in handling copper, lead and zine concen- trates, liquids, methanol, pulp and Paper, sulphur, potash, Phosphate rock and fertilizers. . The. Vancouver Wharves site has five deep-sea water berths. Additional facilities include slips designed to accommodate railcar barges. It also has- a’ 500-railcar capacity switching yard equipped with diesel-electric locomotives. The total storage site capacity of Vancouver Wharves is about 1.25 million tonnes.’