Whitby gfamily's lawsuit to proceed page2 Pebblestone prez deiîvers the goods page4 Redmen f2 semi-finals pagel4 Terrifie tykes winitail * Jail terms for brutalI beating By Mark Reesor Two men have each been handed tw-year sentences for a severe beating that left an Oshawa- man near death. Brian Hackett 34, of Brock Street Scuth, Wlui and Charmes Belanger,. oôf Bloor Street Eastý, Osh-- awra pied guilty-to agrava- tedassalt forthea 9 1995 » ,beating of Gfary Sweeney., ?, which occur- red whule tliy-,wer edrk- igwit-hihm in-Belanger's Onswa apartent. The atak eft Sweeney with 'permanent bain damage affecting his short- *-term memoiy and realistic thinkinL and parahyzed bis Hels confined to a wheel- chair and reivn 24-hour care in a Wib nursing home. Sweeney was brutally kicked and punched -- blond *spaters were found eiet had been attacked - and' was left lying on the floor in hie own blo for bet- ween eight te 12 hours before a visiting friend cal- led an ambulance the next *morning, court heard. Lawyeèrs for the men said they were drunk and didn't realize the extent of Swéeney's i~neas ihe as '~Just sleeping Hackett and Belane both dlaim te, have ltthe memory of the incident and don't recail what provoked it. The case %i one of the most -serious 1Ive encoun- tered,» noted Mr. Justice Harry LaForme in handing * down lus sentence, adding the accused were Uvery for- tumate" they weren't up on murder charges. "Tne consequncsof your. actions did not end in that room," he told Hackett and Belanger. Byail accouânts they're gong te gponý for the test éof Mr.Sween slfe and i %iIK ~ %~II il \~\\ ~1 I CAW prots over Possible, chages to lw SBy Mark Reesor CanadianÎ Auto Workers (CAW) members upset over rumoured changes , to health and safety Iaws took over aprvicilgovern- ment office in Witby Mon-- day morning Tfhe GM workers entered ai Ministy f Labour office at the WHtby Corporate Centre-on ud Sre 'East, and refused to budge until, th9y coudtalk to a senior officiai.,, Others waved placards oiztsîde the- buüild-ing 'and outside Durham, Centre across the street. Flaherty wasn't i - hesi on ajutice commitecon- ducting hearing on Bill 75 -but*a arranged a .meetmng with hum for Fri- day morning sothat protes- ters can voice ,thefr,, con- cerne. District managerý of the ministry's Peterborough 9perations division, Martin Donat, arrived iabout'an hour after the-ccu-pation began and agreed to meet, with them. 1The CAW Local 222 members .are -concerned. that sfrain and sa n.in jures, ý which the y .say account for- about -50 per cent of workers'ý compensa- tion dlaims at the- Oshawa car assembhy plant wilhno longer quallfy for benefits.- "Rtiglit now one out of îevery three workers i that plant Mies a .compensation Chaim,7- said health and safety rep Paul Goggan - Tlhey als o worry the governient, will change section 43 oif the* Occup- tional, Heath and Safety Act, which gives, employees the right'torefuse unsafe work oraccpt a',recom- menclation to not pay in-> jured workers for' the flrst. Ithree daysoff work. <. change theeý ocad wto s tanding" haZ U. Isae holdeirs" wil be- consultéd through hearings before changes take place. 1 "Yeah but hÎow theygoing to do that," aske CA benefit rep Dave Thomp- son. «(Labour minister Eliza- beth) Witme r is not makInjg >it easy for labour to partici- pate as.,'stakeholders becausethey're picking and cos*gthe coà mmunities theyaregongtobe' in ,(for heaning. ala.oi gog to have 'the niglt to sekat the heaixg "'11e wa1 they're'doing it isnot fair." Dontl jotted down'théfr objectéion, thanked, them for tolling -hlm about them. and promniseid th "make $EEMPAà 2E5 Chargelai d a fter hold-up A Ione bandit with a hood pullge over bis head and Leanra red bandana rob- a, tydrugstore i~- day afternoon. It's the msnd straight week a, downtown druggist lis been bit. The culprit entered Toveil Drup 317 Broclc St. Saround 1:30 p.m., says Inspectr Grej Rad, uled th hoo of Isacever' bis ha" and, put on-the bandana ashle approached the.counter. B-ý e demanded ln a threa- teing -tans that sa female >.amaishbad over two .narcotican&u testore; No weapon *as -sem and n..o on e w am ,iinui - 4 4 % A cherk folowed- sud was abet rovid police with a, dsscnption 'and, license p ate number. of a car the bandi tookoff in. Police traced the plate, to a Brock Street South apart- ment and made an ar-est. David Baxter, 38, of 1615 Brock St. S., was charged with rbbsry and wearing a The in cide nt isn't' thougit to.-be- rshatsd-te a armed hold-up the previous 8 weekat the ýdowntewnu Guardian Druge«, where a. »ions bandit stols cash and narcoicso tetwo recent brek-nswher. >narcotic ws stleJroin ti. flen page 14. ý 1 -- -- ý-,- ý-7ý ---- - < - , ;, 1-1, --- 'l' 'eý -7