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Kelowna  

Relentless grief of loss

Aimee Parkes was killed more than two years ago by her ex-fiance, but the impact she made on others in her 35 years still spans across continents.

Aimee's mother, Janis Plumb, delivered a victim impact statement to a packed courtroom before Ryan Quigley was sentenced for manslaughter Friday morning.

She described her only child as a kind and caring woman who, despite moving to Canada from England in 2010, still called or Skyped her mother every Sunday to keep her up to date on her life on the other side of the pond.

“Sundays are especially hard for me,” Plumb said. “Every Sunday afternoon that she doesn't FaceTime or Skype me, is just another reminder that I will never speak to her again.”

Plumb still has a clock on her coffee table in England, set to “Aimee's time.”

Aimee's family members weren't the only ones who spoke highly of her. She had always been a big fan of cats, and was named the SPCA volunteer of the year in 2014, the year she was killed.

Witnesses throughout the trial called her kind, respectful and warm.

Her family had been looking forward to her coming back to England for a visit in April.

“She never came home,” Plumb said.

Plumb and her husband were woken up at 3 a.m. on April 2 with the devastating news.

“I remember starting to scream, I was hysterical and could not believe it was true,” Plumb said.

She described arriving in Kelowna without being greeted at the airport by Aimee for the first time.

“It broke my heart.”

Since her daughter's death, Plumb says she has trouble sleeping, as she is kept up thinking about the suffering Aimee experienced, and how long it took her to die.

She described Aimee's Pandora bracelet, a gift from Plumb, that was pawned by Quigley just hours after he killed her, to buy drugs.

“Each bead has a special memory we shared and I worry that I will never get it back,” Plumb said,

Aimee's death has clearly touched many people, both locally and back home. The courtroom during Quigley's sentencing Friday was packed full, with her closest family members using the vacant jury seats to allow enough room for everyone.

During Plumb's testimony, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

“I ache with grief and probably always will,” she said. “I have unshakeable sadness.”

Quigley's defence lawyer, Kevin McCullough, issued an apology on behalf of Quigley at the end of the trial, but Quigley did not speak himself.

“Aimee was a vibrant force for good in the world and I'm encouraged and humbled by the support of friends, co-workers, and family who committed their time and shown their love and support for us,” Plumb said. “It makes a difference to me knowing that they have never forgotten my Aimee.”



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