Two former employees of a ritzy golf club in Ontario cottage country are no longer facing charges in connection with an alcohol-fuelled car crash that killed three young men.
The Crown said further investigation had found that Murray Blair and Jim Molenhuis were no longer with the company on July 3, 2008 when the crash occurred. They were once vice-presidents at Clublink Corp., the company that owns the Lake Joseph Club in Muskoka Lakes Township where the men reportedly drank excessively before getting into their car.
The Crown explained that the men were charged because their names appeared on an outdated liquor licence. The company says they requested an updated licence but the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario said they never received a letter informing them of the changes.
It was the first court appearance for more than a dozen people charged with 34 liquor licence infractions. Now, 14 people are charged with serving an intoxicated person and permitting drunkenness on a licenced premise.
Toronto residents Tyler Mulcahy, 20, Cory Mintz, 20, Kourosh Totonchian, 19, and Nastasia Elzinga, 19, enjoyed lunch and 31 drinks at the upscale club's lounge before heading back on the road.
The three men died when the vehicle they were riding in left the roadway and plunged into the Joseph River. Elzinga survived the crash with minor injuries.
One officer said it was the worst crash he had ever seen.
Subsequent tests showed that alcohol was a factor in the crash.
Court has been adjourned for the remaining defendants until March 19.
A lawyer representing Blair and Molenhuis refused to comment on the dropped charges. The lawyer is also representing 11 other directors at Clublink.
Walter Moon, the club's food and beverage manager, and servers Ian Colterjohn and James Flegg have retained separate counsel.
Since the accident, Mulcahy's father Tim has been actively trying to change the laws around drinking and driving.
However, he issued a news release last week saying he is not looking for revenge for his son's death.
"I believe that this case is a very complex one which will likely set a precedent one way or the other on the ultimate responsibility of the serving of alcohol by a licensed establishment," he said.
"I have never held anyone responsible or blamed anyone for the accident, however I do hope that future lives are saved due to this terrible tragedy."
If convicted, Clublink can face a maximum penalty of $250,000 whereas an individual
would be fined a maximum $100,000, or be imprisoned up to a year, or both.
With a report from The Canadian Press
