The victim impact statement of Timothy Angus, Garry Angus’s son:
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“On the night of October 17, mum left to go to pick up dad from the shop. I would have gone with her as sometimes I did but I was tired from Belinda’s birthday party weekend and I had started work early with mum on the Monday morning so I stayed home so I could go to bed.
“When mum had not come home I was getting worried so I rang her mobile to see what was going on. Mum told me that dad had had an accident so I woke my sister and shortly after the police came and knocked on the front door. I looked out the front window and saw a police car out the front so I opened the door and they came in and told us what had happened to my dad and that he had died of the shock.
“My life was torn apart that night. I feel sad all the time and have no motivation. I feel angry and hurt at what happened to my dad. Dad and I did a lot together and he was teaching me all about the newsagency business as one day I would have taken over when dad semi-retired. I have always been interested and involved in the business from an early age.
“After my dad’s death I had to do a lot of hard things that I haven’t wanted to do. Closing the shop and pulling it apart tore my heart out. All the years of hard work in there were gone. At my dad’s funeral I helped carry the coffin out to the church and that is one of the hardest things for a 16-year-old at the time to do.
“I had lost my dad and had lost everything that I knew. After what happened I had to go back to school and complete year 11. It has been a very long, hard year for me as I was not meant to be returning for this year. My dad was more than a dad to me, he was a teacher of life and he taught me to work hard, enjoy life and never give up.
“One of the things we enjoyed together was getting out in the boat and fishing for hours. These are the good times that I will remember. My dad had a heart of gold. He would help anyone. He was a great dad and I hope I can make him proud in whatever I do in life and hope one day I can still be involved in the industry he taught me, even though it will not be the same.
“I love my dad and I miss him every day. No one deserved to die the way my dad did and no one has the right to take anyone’s life away from their family.”