‘Doo doo, doo doo’: Woman who forced neighbors to hear the ‘prolonged thud’ of her drunkenly dragging her husband’s body under her truck learns her fate

A Wisconsin pistillate who pleaded blameworthy to dragging her hubby underneath her motortruck for astir 50 feet, causing his death, was sentenced to a decennary down bars.

Mary Terry, 50, pleaded blameworthy connected Jan. 6 to homicide by intoxicated usage of a conveyance successful transportation with the decease of her husband, Donald Britten Jr., connected Oct. 19, 2023. Terry was accused of purposefully moving into Britten with her motortruck portion she had a blood-alcohol level of 0.298, much than 4 times the ineligible limit. After backing into him, Terry dragged his assemblage 48 feet crossed the pavement and ran him implicit again. In the criminal complaint, a neighbour told constabulary that astatine the clip of the incident, helium heard a “prolonged thud” followed by “doo doo, doo doo,” oregon what sounded similar a conveyance driving implicit a velocity bump.

As reported previously by Law&Crime, Terry was primitively charged with first-degree intentional homicide.

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Prosecuting lawyer Alexander Seifert utilized the courtroom itself to exemplify however acold Britten’s assemblage was dragged nether the motortruck being driven by Terry, noting that the size of the courtroom was really conscionable abbreviated of the 48-foot distance.

But Seifert stated successful tribunal that if anyone felt similar 48 feet was not that agelong of a distance, “I would surely promote them to resistance a digit crossed a food grater for 1 inch with their assemblage value — not the value of a truck.”

Seifert reiterated the sound heard by a neighbour that sounded similar a conveyance driving implicit a velocity bump — “doo doo, doo doo.” He added, “In this case, evidently the bump was Mr. Britten.”

He besides showed images successful tribunal of the injuries Britten sustained during the collision that killed him, graphically describing the gruesome “effect that factual does to quality flesh.” While the cameras successful the courtroom were not permitted to seizure those images, they turned alternatively to Terry, who sobbed astatine the defence array arsenic she avoided looking astatine what she had pleaded blameworthy to.

Seifert stated that portion Terry didn’t person a transgression history, her convulsive enactment against Britten inactive made her “a information to the community” and recommended the maximum condemnation — 15 years successful situation positive 10 years probation.

When the defence squad spoke, lawyer Kelli Sue Thompson said Terry became an alcoholic implicit the people of galore years and tragedies successful her family, a information that was lone made worse by the decease of her lad successful a car accident. While she said her lawsuit was not denying what happened erstwhile she backed implicit her husband, Thompson stated that Terry “loved him,” and some of them were “so intoxicated” connected the nighttime of Britten’s death. So intoxicated, Thompson said, that Terry “does not remember” what happened that fateful night.

Terry’s different defence attorney, Albert Moustakis, besides argued that his lawsuit was truthful intoxicated that her transgression could not person been intentional, and she should not beryllium sentenced arsenic if it was. He stated that Terry “takes implicit responsibility” for her actions.

While Terry did not talk herself, Thompson work a connection written by Terry aloud successful court. In the statement, she said, “I would person ne'er intentionally wounded Donnie” and described him arsenic the emotion of her life.

When it came to Judge Michael Schiek, helium stated that “the grounds shows this was much than an accident.” Before handing down his sentence, helium said, “What’s sticking with maine contiguous that I heard … is this would ne'er person happened if you hadn’t been intoxicated,” addressing Terry directly. He added, “I deliberation that’s astir apt true. But it did, and you were, and I can’t judge the intoxication arsenic portion of immoderate benignant of defense.”

Considering mandatory minimums — five years nether Wisconsin instrumentality — but feeling that the transgression did not telephone for either the minimum oregon the maximum sentence, Schiek sentenced Terry to 10 years successful situation positive 10 years of extended supervision. She was besides ordered to wage restitution. The justice said Terry could not instrumentality portion successful a attraction programme that would springiness her the accidental to beryllium released from situation earlier she completes 8 years of her sentence.