A Vancouver man’s guilty plea in connection with a deadly hit and run in Kitsilano last year was kept from the public for more than two weeks this month, due to a publication ban on the proceedings.
Alexandre Romero-Arata, 27, pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death on Nov. 29 in Vancouver provincial court.
At the time, Romero-Arata’s defence counsel, Bobby Movassaghi, requested a publication ban on the proceedings because his client was facing a jury trial in B.C. Supreme Court on Dec. 11 on an unrelated charge of sexual assault.
Judge Reg Harris granted the ban, which was to expire as soon as the jury trial was done.
On Dec. 16, a jury found Romero-Arata guilty of one count of sexual assault involving a 16-year-old girl he met online. The victim, now 18 testified that Romero-Arata had sexual intercourse with her without her consent in a Vancouver hotel room in November 2021.
On June 19, 2022, Eoghan Byrne, a 24-year-old Irish national, was walking home with a friend when he was struck and killed in a hit and run.
Byrne’s family members watched by video from Ireland, as Romero-Arata entered a guilty plea in that case last month.
In an agreed statement of facts read by Crown counsel Mark Myhre, Romero-Arata admitted to striking and killing Byrne, who was crossing West 4th Avenue at Arbutus Street when the fatal collision was captured on surveillance video.
Police said the impact of the collision sent Byrne flying and he died immediately.
“It’s horrifying that an innocent person who was walking on the street, struck and killed instantly, had their whole life ahead of them,” said Const. Tania Visintin. “It’s very tragic and it definitely took a toll on our investigators.”
Court heard Romero-Arata was drinking that evening and should not have been driving.
Myhre said his manner of driving included speeds of up to 140 kilometres per hour and running red lights.
Romero-Arata fled the scene of the collision and called 911 the next day, to falsely report his car was stolen.
Police arrested Romero-Arata on June 20, 2022 at his residence in South Vancouver, along with a 63-year-old family member, who was initially under investigation for acting as a potential accomplice after the fatal collision.
Visintin said that person’s criminal involvement was ultimately ruled out, and only Romero-Arata was charged.
“We were able to recommend charges, one of the highest charges in fatal collisions, which is criminal negligence causing death,” Visintin told Global News in an interview Tuesday.
Romero-Arata was also accused of failing to stop at an accident causing death, and public mischief – but he pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death only.
Crown counsel is seeking a five-year prison sentence followed by a five-year driving ban.
Defence counsel plans to enter a psychiatric assessment as evidence when it makes submissions at a sentencing hearing in the new year.
Romero-Arata remains in custody and both cases have been put over to 2024 to fix sentencing dates.
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