Brent Parent sentenced

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NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS1130) – Brent Parent, the man convicted in a road rage-related death in Langley in 2008, has been given a sentence of five years and six months in jail.

The judge has also handed him a 12 year driving ban, which will begin when he is released from prison.

Parent was convicted of criminal negligence causing death, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and failure to remain at the scene in the death of Silas O’Brien.

The victim’s father, Roger says overall, the family is quite satisfied. “It’s more or less what we expected. We feel it’s a sentence that likely will not be appealed, so it’s all good.”

“We’d like to thank everyone involved. We just want to put this all behind us and carry on,” he adds.

“To send a message, [the sentence] could have even been stronger, perhaps. But we’re satisfied with the way it was. Maybe Mr. Parent will have time to get those things in control,” says Roger O’Brien.

Today’s sentence is not what the Crown had asked for, but is more than the three-to four-year sentence the defence was calling for.

Defence Lawyer Vince Michaels says he was surprised at the ruling. “I must say it’s on the high side of what I expected, I think he’s more preoccupied with a five-and-a-half-year global prison sentence right now.”

Michaels says the parole board can reduce that number. “It seemed to me that that sentence, or that order was made by the judge, specifically referring to the ability of the parole board to reduce it, adverting to the fact that my client could earn the right to drive again sooner.”

As the sentence was being read, Parent sat with his head down. He was sniffling and wiping away tears. He never once looked at reporters.

The judge says he accepted Parent’s remorse and regret for what happened, but also stressed in his closing statements that driving is a privilege, not a right.

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