Young man pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2011 crash that killed York officer
Posted February 3, 2020 5:56 pm.
Last Updated February 3, 2020 11:49 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A young man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the crash that killed York Regional Police Constable Garrett Styles in 2011.
The man, identified only as “SK”, was originally convicted of first-degree murder in 2015, but the conviction was overturned.
An appeal court had ruled the trial judge erred in failing to caution jurors that they should consider the age of the accused and his level of maturity at the time of the incident in determining whether he knew his actions were likely to cause Styles’ death.
He has now been sentenced to two years probation with several conditions related to operating a vehicle. The original conviction had resulted in a conditional supervision order for nine years as the trial judge found he was already effectively serving a life sentence as a result of his physical state and that he had been rehabilitated.
The man, who was 15 at the time of the crash, was rendered quadriplegic in the crash.
A statement from York Regional Police Chief Eric Jolliffee says the Crown had consulted extensively with members of the Styles’ family who “felt very strongly they could not endure another trial.”
“While this result is not what many of us were hoping for, after eight grueling years navigating the criminal justice system and consulting closely with the Crown, this outcome seemed to best serve all involved,” read the statement.
“SK” had taken his parents’ van late at night in June 2011 to go driving with friends – despite having no licence – when Styles pulled them over in East Gwillimbury.
Court heard Styles sought to impound the van and repeatedly asked the teen driver to step out of the vehicle, eventually reaching inside to unbuckle his seatbelt.
The van then suddenly accelerated and dragged the officer about 300 metres before veering off the road and landing on top of him.
