Victims of former funeral director who stole from clients share victim impact statements

A former funeral director who stole more than $425,000 for prepaid funerals was back in court in Charlottetown on Friday as victims and families told the court how they've been impacted by his crimes.

Lowell Oakes pleaded guilty in August to 66 counts of fraud, including 36 counts of fraud over $5,000 and 30 counts of fraud under $5,000. 

About 20 people gathered in the courtroom to represent the victims. Some stood up to read their own statements and others spoke on behalf of family members, some who have died.

The victims told the court how the stress of losing money has impacted them, and spoke about the feeling of betrayal because Oakes was someone they trusted.

'I can't be buried there'

Carmel Bradley lost nearly $5,000 for her prepaid funeral. She and her husband, Lewis, purchased funerals through Oakes while Lewis Bradley was in palliative care.

She said in an interview outside the courtroom that she had her husband's ashes exhumed and gravestone destroyed because she couldn't stand to visit the gravesite any longer.

"Every time I went I got in such a state when I got home, about Lowell Oakes, I thought, 'I can't be buried there,'" she said.

"I just couldn't see myself being buried in that grave knowing that maybe my husband's cremation wasn't even paid for … it was just Lowell Oakes, every time I went there."

In a written victim impact statement, Mary Matters described her family's decades-long friendship with Oakes, who lived nearby and was considered "a friend and confidant" of her husband, Raymond.

The family planned and paid for their funerals back in 2014. Matters said her husband has since moved into community care housing and their living expenses have increased dramatically.

"Now, with no funeral plans made and paid for, we faced new emotional and financial challenges," her statement reads.

"Today we're back at square one. We don't know which way to turn or what to believe. What will we do financially now? Who can we trust now if someone as trustworthy as the offender isn't trustworthy and could do this to us and so many other friends?"

I feel the offender broke my parents' hearts.— Debbie Matters

Her daughter, Debbie Matters, also provided a written statement. She described feeling anger, disbelief and horror when she learned Oakes had stolen from her parents.

"I feel the offender broke my parents' hearts. I feel sadness and anger now as I listen to my father try to make sense of this," she wrote.

"I feel like the offender shattered his trust and made him feel like a vulnerable, helpless fool for having been conned by such a good friend."

Oakes did not appear to react to the victims' statements while in the courtroom. 

The Crown is asking for Oakes to serve three years in federal prison, arguing this was not a momentary lapse of judgment and Oakes had repeated opportunities to admit his wrongdoings.

The defence told the court should get a conditional sentence of less than two years — which could mean house arrest and no jail time — because Oakes was facing problems with his business and grappling with a gambling addiction. 

Oakes is expected to be sentenced some time in early 2024.