Evan Lee Gladue will spend 27 more months behind bars and won’t be allowed to drive for five years. He was sentenced Friday for a March 13 three-vehicle crash that left two of his friends dead and another seriously injured.
Gladue addressed the court, including one of the victim’s mothers, and cried.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt nobody… If I could trade places, I would.”
The 26-year-old was earlier convicted of two counts of dangerous driving causing death, one count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm and driving while disqualified.
According to an agreed statement of facts, police saw a Monte Carlo speeding out of an alley at 120 Avenue and heading towards 82 Street at 5:25 a.m. on March 13.
Officers followed and tried to keep an eye on the vehicle. ASIRT later said police decided to back off due to public safety concerns. A short time later, the Monte Carlo, driven by Gladue, was in a three-vehicle collision near 50 Street and Manning Drive.
Two passengers, Leonard Cardinal and Nicole Cheecham, were thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. A third passenger, a young woman, suffered extensive injuries, but survived.
Nobody in the other vehicles was hurt.
The Crown and defence issued a joint submission for sentencing, asking for 27 months behind bars and a five-year driving ban starting Friday. Gladue has been in custody since the crash.
Both said his early guilty plea and background of abuse should be considered.
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Gladue has a long record of impaired and dangerous driving.
Cheecham’s mother said the sentencing offered a bit of closure but also reignited her grief.
“I wanted to hear what happened,” Mariann Mountain said. “That’s my daughter, my daughter’s boyfriend.”
She said the penalty wasn’t harsh enough.
“It wasn’t enough but he has to deal with it. It’s just too hurtful. It just brought so many memories back. I never knew what happened to her until they told me in court today.”
After it was over, Gladue’s parents crossed the courtroom and hugged Mountain.
“They did. They apologized,” Mountain said through tears, “but it’s still not going to bring my daughter back.”
With files from Kent Morrison, Global News
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