Send this page to someone via email

TORONTO — The court case of an alleged impaired driver accused in a crash north of Toronto that killed three children and their grandfather has been delayed until Jan. 6.

Marco Muzzo, of King Township, Ont., made a brief court appearance via video link in Newmarket, Ont. Thursday and is scheduled to appear in person next month.

A number of scheduled bail hearings have already been pushed back as his defence lawyer cited the need for further police disclosure in the case.

The 29-year-old faces a dozen impaired-driving offences and six charges related to the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle following the deadly crash in Vaughan.

READ MORE: Mother of victims in fatal Vaughan crash wants tougher drunk driving sentences

Daniel Neville-Lake, 9, his brother Harrison, 5, their sister Milly, 2, and the kids’ 65-year-old grandfather died after the mini-van they were in was struck by another vehicle at the intersection of Kipling Avenue and Kirby Road northeast of Kleinburg, Ont. on the afternoon of Sept. 27.

Story continues below advertisement

Two other occupants in the mini-van, the children’s grandmother and great-grandmother, both survived the crash but suffered serious injuries.

“We’re just grateful that we’re not going to be back here in two weeks on our daughter’s birthday and that we’re going to be avoiding my sister’s birthday in January thus far, so that’s really good news for us,” said the children’s mother, Jennifer Neville-Lake.

“The only other thing that I can think of is just for everyone to please just be mindful that the reason we’re here is because children got hurt, children were killed. Please do not do that to others.”

The Neville-Lake family had promised to attend each court session involved in the case and the children’s mother has been regularly speaking to the media in front of the courthouse.

Story continues below advertisement

“We will be celebrating our first Christmas without our children too, two days after our daughter’s — what would have been her third birthday, which is now a memorial birthday for her,” she said.

“Whether [Muzzo] puts in a plea of, “I’m guilty” or, “No we want to go to trial,” the point is we’d be out of waiting. We’d at least be able to move not forward but we wouldn’t be stagnant.”