American pleads guilty to lesser charge after running down Windsor woman he met online
'I live in constant fear for my safety,' the tearful woman said in her victim impact statement
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A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty on Wednesday in a Windsor courtroom to using his vehicle to strike down a young Lakeshore woman in downtown Windsor in 2023.
Originally charged with attempted murder, Shermere Coulston-Hawkins, 24, pleaded guilty instead to assault and dangerous driving causing bodily harm during a Superior Court of Justice hearing.
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The court heard that the American travelled from the U.S. to see a Belle River woman he’d been communicating with online. On Dec. 23, 2023, the pair fought over the contents of the woman’s cellphone, and Coulston-Hawkins choked her with his hands. Hours later, he followed her to downtown Windsor and struck her with a vehicle, resulting in “traumatic injuries” to the victim.
“I live in constant fear for my safety,” said the woman, tearfully reading her victim impact statement before Superior Court Justice Kelly Gorman.
“I am no longer normal, and the nature of the offence has left me feeling unsafe, even in places where I once felt safe.
“The psychological impact of knowing that this person may be nearby or free to reoffend causes me significant anxiety.”
The woman, who was 21 at the time of the incident, woke up in a Windsor hospital with injuries that included broken teeth. She said she’s undergone two surgeries so far, including a bone graft, and has one more surgery to go.
She told the court she’s been diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, post-traumatic cognitive impairment, and post-traumatic migraines, and has been unable to work or attend school as a result.
“I could have died,” she said. “What if I didn’t wake up?”
Assistant Crown attorney Zachary Battiston played disturbing surveillance footage recorded by security cameras on buildings near the downtown Windsor parking lot where Coulston-Hawkins struck the woman with a sedan.
The footage shows the woman running from a car in a lot on Ferry Street. The car then accelerates and veers towards her, hitting her and sending her limp body flying through the air and onto the ground.
Coulston-Hawkins remains in custody at the South West Detention Centre in Windsor. He was originally charged by Windsor police with seven counts, including attempted murder, forcible confinement, and failure to remain at the scene of an accident.
The Crown is seeking a prison sentence of four to eight years, a $1,000 fine for dangerous driving, a three-year driving prohibition, a 10-year weapons ban, and a DNA sample for a police criminal database.
The defence is seeking a prison sentence of two to three years.
“He acknowledged that he made a very brief, momentary bad decision,” defence lawyer Evan Weber told the Star outside court.
“This was a girl he cared about, and so obviously he didn’t want to have to have her live through the whole trial process.
“The fact is, he wants to move on with his life as well. But of course, he wants to take responsibility for his really bad judgment back on that day.”
Justice Gorman is scheduled to deliver her decision on sentencing on June 26.
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