Convicted impaired driver who killed friend in crash granted full parole
Convicted drunk driver Andrew Fallows has been granted full parole.
Found guilty by a jury of his peers in 2017 of impaired driving causing death and criminal negligence causing death, Fallows was granted day-parole a year ago.
The family of his victim, Shania Slater, cannot believe the man responsible for her death in the horrific 2014 crash north of Barrie has been set free.
At the time of Fallows’ sentencing in Barrie, Justice John McCarthy handed down one of the harshest decisions in Canadian history, calling Fallows’ conduct the night of the crash “senseless, selfish, reckless, negligent, and criminal.”
Under the terms of his parole, Fallows, now 32, must continue to refrain from consuming alcohol and drugs and stay away from establishments where alcohol is served or sold.
He is also barred from contacting the victim’s family and friends.
In its decision, the board told Fallows, “Given that you have had good institutional behaviour, completed substance abuse treatment, have been in the community since May 2020 with no issues, and have a plan for full parole that addresses your risks of reoffending, the Board finds your risk is manageable on full parole.”
Fallows was ordered to perform counselling for substance abuse and was deemed a low risk to reoffend.
At the time of the crash, Fallows was unlicensed to drive with no insurance following a previous conviction for impaired driving.
Shania Slater was 18 when she died and was a passenger in Fallows’ pickup truck at the time of the crash.
The Barrie court heard testimony that Fallows, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, attempted to move Slater’s prone body toward the driver seat to make it appear as if she was behind the wheel.
Fallows had been driving on the highway, with Slater, following a night of partying with friends, which included Slater’s boyfriend, Tom Newman.
In court, Newman testified Fallows was driving Shania home for some reason that followed an argument at a friend’s home, which involved heavy drinking and smoking of marijuana.
“We we’re going up the highway, and we’d seen Andy’s truck up on the media, and I told the cabbie to stop because that’s my girlfriend in the truck and my friend,” said Newman.
Fallows was sentenced to nine years behind bars and prohibited from driving for another 12 years following his release.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.