Martin Home
May 14, 2008
IT'S BEEN A HECTIC WEEK FOR BRENDA MARTIN -- AS SHE TRIES TO ADJUST TO LIFE OUT OF PRISON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 2 YEARS. SHE'S BEEN STAYING AT THE HOME OF HER MOTHER IN TRENTON -- TRYING TO GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP, WHILE TRYING TO EXPLAIN HOW SHE ENDED UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF MEXICAN LAW. NEWSWATCH'S LIZ COOK SPOKE WITH MARTIN TODAY. BRENDA MARTIN FINALLY TOOK SOME TIME TO "SMELL THE ROSES" . SINCE RETURNING TO HER MOTHER'S HOME IN TRENTON LAST FRIDAY, MARTIN HAS BEEN BUSY DOING MEDIA INTERVIEWS ... CATCHING UP WITH OLD FAMILY, FRIENDS AND ON SLEEP ... BRENDA MARTIN: "TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SLEEP, UNCONTESTED, NOT WOKEN UP BY FLASH LIGHTS OR SOMEONE WAKING UP IN THE ROOM DOING SOME CRAZY THINGS." MARTIN SAYS THE LAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN A "WHIRLWIND" . ... EVEN A SHORT TRIP TO THE CONVENIENCE STORE DOWN THE STREET IS OVERWHELMING. BRENDA MARTIN: "IT'S AMAZING, JUST STOPPING TO GET MILK AT THE CORNER STORE ... EVERYBODY GETTING OUT OF THEIR CAR SAYING IT'S HER IT'S HER, IT'S BRENDA MARTIN, AND LOTS OF HUGS. IT IS AMAZING TO WAKE UP AND GO WHERE YOU WANT ... NOT BE ON A LEASH SO TO SPEAK." WHILE ON PAROLE, MARTIN HAS TO STAY WITHIN 40 KILOMETRES OF HER MOTHER'S HOME, BUT SHE SAYS SHE IS OVERJOYED TO HAVE HER NEW FOUND FREEDOM, AFTER SPENDING MORE THAN 2 YEARS IN A MEXICAN JAIL ON FRAUD CHARGES, AND FACED THE PROSPECT OF 5 MORE YEARS, UNTIL OTTAWA ARRANGED HER TRANSFER HOME. BRENDA AND MARJORIE TALKING)) HAVING HER DAUGHTER HOME .. BRINGS MARJORIE BLETCHER A SENSE OF RELIEF. MARJORIE BLETCHER: "IT'S BEEN GREAT, IT IS GREAT TO HAVE HER HOME. I CAN NOW FEEL A LITTLE RELAXED, TO KNOW THAT SHE IS OK." MARTIN SAYS SHE AND HER MOTHER COULDN'T HAVE MADE IT THROUGH THE THE ORDEAL WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE CANADIAN PUBLIC. BRENDA MARTIN: "I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED ME BY VIRTUE OF HELPING MY MOTHER, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, WHO SENT LETTERS OF HOPE, PEOPLE WHO DONATED TO THE SAVE BRENDA FUND TO HELP ME WITH LEGAL FEES AND HELPED ME WHEN I WAS IN PRISON, BECAUSE I HAD TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING." THE "SAVE THE BRENDA FUND" IS STILL ACCEPTING DONATIONS. MARTIN SAY HER LEGAL BILLS ADD UP TO ABOUT 60-THOUSAND DOLLARS. MARTIN HOPES THAT SHE WILL ONE DAY BE ABLE TO GIVE BACK AND HELP OTHER CANADIANS IMPRISONED IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES BRENDA MARTIN: "SEE IF I CAN OFFER SOME COMFORT, SEE IF I CAN REPAY SOME OF THESE PEOPLE, WITH SOME KINDNESS, SORRY THAT IT WAS ONLY ME, BUT MAYBE I CAN OFFER SOME COMFORT." LIZ COOK: "EVEN THOUGH BRENDA MARTIN IS BACK ON CANADIAN SOIL, ENJOYING TIME WITH LOVED ONES. SHE STILL HAS A LONG LEGAL ROAD TO TRAVEL. MARTIN SAYS SHE WANTS HER NAME CLEARED AND THE GUILTY VERDICT HANDED DOWN BY A MEXICAN JUDGE REVERSED. LIZ COOK, CKWS NEWSWATCH, TRENTON."
