A judge is making an example out of a man found guilty of driving drunk in a 2014 crash on Highway 11 that later killed his friend.
Andrew Fallows was sentenced to nine years in prison in a Barrie courtroom on Friday morning. It’s one of the harshest sentences of its kind in Canada.
In August, a jury found Fallows guilty of impaired driving causing death, criminal negligence causing death, impaired driving and dangerous operation causing death.
Shania Slater was in the passenger seat of the pickup truck when it crashed into a centre median. She died nine days after the crash.
While delivering the sentence, Judge John McCarthy cited the case of Marco Muzzo. He was sentenced in 2016 to 10 years behind bars for driving drunk and taking the lives of Jennifer Neville-Lake’s three children and their grandfather in King City.
“The senseless, selfish, reckless, negligent, and criminal conduct of Andrew Fallows only claimed one life. That of course, is one life too many. The death of Shania Slater, is, and always will, be a despicable crime, a devastating loss to the family and friends and an irreparable tragedy," McCarthy said.
The judge told Fallows his actions before, during and after the crash were appalling and he must now pay the price for failing to protect Slater and for making it appear as if she was behind the wheel by moving her lifeless body toward the driver seat.
The Crown was seeking a sentence of 10 years. Fallows fired his lawyer and decided to represent himself during his sentencing hearing. He asked the judge for a sentence of six to eight years.
Slater's family hopes this stiff sentence sends a message to all drunk drivers.
“All you hear on the radio is people dying from drinking and driving so hopefully this will make a change,” says Melissa Slater, Shania's sister.
Fallows' mother said her son is being made a scapegoat.
Fallows won’t be a free man until at least 2026 and then he'll be facing a 12 year driving ban.
