Convicted killer Scott Gellatly of Oxford spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday at his sentencing in the case at Superior Court in Milford.
He should have kept his mouth shut.
Gellatly pleaded guilty in September to charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with the May 7, 2014 shooting of his then-wife, Lori Jackson, and her mother, Merry Jackson, at a Sioux Drive home in Oxford.
Click here for more details about the case.
In taking the plea deal, Gellatly had agreed to serve 45 years behind bars.
’Because Of Lori I Am Alive Today’
Three of Jackson’s relatives spoke in court Tuesday. They painted a picture of Gellatly as a controlling, manipulative husband.
Merry Jackson, who Gellatly shot in the head during his attack, told the judge that her daughter used the last of her strength after being shot to save her.
“I believe because of Lori I am alive today,” Merry Jackson said. “I remember as he was shooting me, (her) last words, ‘Please don’t kill mommy.’”
“I would trade places with her in a heartbeat,” Jackson said, her voice breaking.
Gellatly shot Merry Jackson four times. She lost her left eye, broke her cheek, and still has numbness in her legs and feet.
But “at last we are safe and we’ll never see Scott again,” Jackson said.
“That day Scott lost,” Jackson said of the shooting. “He came to take Lori, but we have her.”
Click play on the video below to see Jackson speak to reporters after the sentencing.
Though the outcome of Tuesday’s proceeding was never in doubt, Gellatly was given the chance to address the courtroom.
He accused the prosecutor in the case, State’s Attorney Kevin Lawlor, of making him look “like a monster.”
“You are,” one of Jackson’s relatives interjected from the gallery of the courtroom.
“I’m not,” Gellatly said. “I made a mistake. And it was a very big mistake. You say that I did it … on purpose. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Gellatly’s assertion was bizarre based on the facts introduced by authorities — that he forced his way into his mother-in-law’s house with a gun.
He apologized — but then said that God had forgiven him and that his murdered wife is now his angel.
Judge: Not A Mistake
It was a tone-deaf statement from an abusive husband. And it wasn’t lost on Judge Frank Iannotti.
‘Mistake’ wasn’t the word the judge used to describe Gellatly’s behavior.
The judge used words such as “contemplated,” “calculated” and “intentional.”
“Here’s a mistake: Putting milk in your coffee instead of cream is a mistake,” Judge Iannotti said. “Taking your wife’s life and trying to take your mother-in-law’s life and essentially leaving your children as orphans is not a mistake.”
Gellatly tried to respond.
That was a mistake.
“No no. No no,” the judge said. “Over for you. You had your chance to speak. My turn now.”
The judge concluded by bringing up the awful week that humanity has had in general, with terrorist attacks killing 129 people in Paris Nov. 13.
Judge Iannotti told Gellatly that he showed an indifference to human life “not too much different” than the terrorists who perpetrated those attacks.
“And you know what that is, Mr. Gellatly? It’s sad,” the judge said, adding it was appropriate that Gellatly has “virtually zero chance” of ever being free again.
The back-and-forth between the two didn’t end there, though.
Before handing down the 45-year sentence, the judge entered several protective orders against Gellatly, including against his twin children with Lori, who are being raised by her family members.
The judge’s order prohibited Gellatly from having contact with them until 2065, unless modified.
Gellatly asked the orders to be in effect until the children are 16, after which they can make their own decision whether they want to see him or not.
“I’m sure they’ll be very anxious to, Mr. Gellatly,” the judge deadpanned before imposing the 45-year jail term.
Lawlor, the prosecutor, said the case was almost too disturbing for words, and that the terror in Lori Jackson’s voice on a 911 recording calling state police for help moments before her death “will never leave me.”
“What do you say on a case like this? This is a case of unspeakable brutality,” the prosecutor said. He described Gellatly as selfish, callous, and narcissistic.
Afterward, Lawlor thanked Jackson’s family and state police. Click the play button on the video below to hear his remarks.
Jackson and many of her family were clad in purple, a symbol of domestic violence awareness and one of Lori’s favorite colors.
After the sentencing she said she was satisfied with the outcome of the case.
Click the play button on the video above to see her remarks.
“We won. We’re really happy,” Jackson said. “Lori’s at peace. We know where she is. We can go forward now and start to live our life again, and Scott will never be part of our lives. We will never have to worry about him again.”
