A Sherwood Park woman was sentenced to a five-year prison term Monday in an impaired driving case that claimed two lives.
Stephanie Rita Williams was found guilty in March of two counts of impaired driving causing death, three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm and a single count of refusing to provide a blood sample.
The September 2009 collision on Highway 28 that led to the charges claimed the lives of Dustin Desjarlais, 27 and Joneson Chiang, 34.
Desjarlais was a passenger in Williams' vehicle, which swerved into the northbound lane and collided with a van in which Chiang was a passenger. Three other people in Chiang's vehicle were seriously injured in the crash, including two children.
Desjarlais and Williams had been at a baseball tournament in Morinville, where Williams consumed several drinks, before heading out on the road.
Judge Peter Ayotte convicted Williams in March after a trial in January, where her lawyer argued she had not been intoxicated at the time of the crash and didn't fully understand her rights when she refused a blood sample. Ayotte had Williams report to jail a week after that conviction because a prison term was a certainty.
Divergent views
Crown prosecutor Scott Pittman argued the crime warranted a sentence of between four and six years and pressed the judge to consider something on the higher end of that range.
Pittman cited the seriousness of the crash and her lack of co-operation with police, as well as two previous impaired driving convictions as reasons for the term.
Defence lawyer Paul Moreau pushed Ayotte to consider a sentence of between three and four years. He cited Williams' own loss of her friend Desjarlais and her remorse, displayed through an apology she offered during sentencing.
In a brief statement, Williams apologized for dragging out the process and said she had no recollection of the accident. She then turned directly to the victims' family sitting in the gallery and offered her contrition.
"I am not asking for your forgiveness, but I am truly and honestly sorry."
Warning ignored
During the trial another player in the tournament, Shannon Williams (not related to Williams) testified she had asked Williams if she was driving and told her she was drunk.
In settling on the five-year term, Judge Peter Ayotte said he found that detail aggravating.
"Her friend at the time made it clear she was drunk and inferred at least that she should not drive."
Outside court, Desjarlais' mother Betty said she felt the sentence was inadequate to the scope of the tragedy.
"I don't think the four-plus years is enough, I really don't. It is not enough for two lives."
Betty said her pain would endure much longer than Williams' sentence.
"It will leave a hole in my heart for the rest of my life."
She also said she found Williams' apology insincere.
"This is the only time I ever saw her say sorry and I think it was just to reduce the sentence."
Speaking to reporters after the verdict, Pittman said the sentence should underscore to the public the terrible consequences of drinking and driving.
"I doubt Ms. Williams got behind the wheel intending to hurt somebody. It is an unfortunate mistake, but it had tragic consequences."
He said the caution about driving Williams received from her friend and then ignored was clearly a key factor in the sentence.
"When you have an individual who warns you that you are not in any shape to drive and you forsake that information and decide to drive anyways, there is a very good chance that information will be held against you."
Williams will also be subject to a seven-year driving prohibition that will begin when she leaves prison. She was given credit for the time she had already served, shaving approximately three months off her sentence.
