- Calgary drunk driver Darren Coupal killed a city mom and injured her wheelchair bound son and his friend.
- Crown is recommending a sentence of between 8 and 10 years
- Darren plead guilty in Nov.2009 to 5 charges connected to the crash in April 30, 2008 killing Linda Davey and seriously injuring her disabled son and a family friend.
- He plead guilty to impaired driving causing death, two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm, fleeing the scene of an accident and driving while disqualified, from an earlier impaired driving conviction.
- He admitted to driving the vehicle that killed the 39 year old mom and hurt two others including her 15 year old disabled son, with cerebral palsy.
- He lost control of the vehicle on a curve and went along the sidewalk, before hitting the victims.
- He was so drunk that when he was arrested minutes later, he had defecated in his pants.
- Crown said a stiff punishment was necessary in order to lessen the carnage that impaired driving is wreaking on society.
- Crown said the impaired driving charges warrant a sentence of 8 years followed by consecutive one year terms for fleeing the scene and driving while disqualified.
- Defence is suggesting four years or less and says that the time Darren has spent under house arrest on bail should be deducted from the sentence.
- Defence said that combining Darren's 9 days spent in prison and the rest on house arrest should result in a 22 month deduction leaving him only 26 months to serve.
- The sentencing will take place on March 10th
I would recommend that 9 years might be appropriate, but then take into consideration the time he has already spent, and leave him with 7 or 8 years left to serve. I don't know much information about this case, but from the sounds of it, this man committed a horrible and tragic crime and this sentence should serve as a deterrant, both general and specific to the offender.
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