Man sentenced for drunk driving that killed teen
CBC News
Posted: May 27, 2011 6:19 PM AT
Last Updated: May 27, 2011 6:52 PM AT
A 34-year-old Dorchester man is going to prison for impaired driving resulting in the death of a 17-year-old girl.
Matthew Goodland and two teenage girls were thrown from the car after a crash on a rural road on June 15, 2008.
The court heard that Matthew Goodland — who was 31 at the time — was out driving around the Dorchester area with McCabe and a younger teen.
The three had been at a party earlier.
At around 4 a.m. the car drifted, rolled and flipped.
The three occupants were thrown from the car. None of them were wearing seat belts.
17-year-old Erin McCabe died instantly.
On April 1, almost three years after the accident, Goodland pleaded guilty to one count of impaired driving causing death and impaired driving causing bodily harm.
'Dazed and confused'
His lawyer said Goodland was dazed and confused after the accident and couldn't remember if he was driving.
But the Crown said neither of the girls had a driver's licence and the car was registered to Goodland's father.
The judge sentenced Goodland to three years in prison.
He's also not allowed to drive for eight years.
McCabe's mother Kathy read an emotional victim impact statement in court.
She wasn't satisfied with the sentence.
"I was kind of hoping for a little more and was kind of thinking, [that] the way the judge was talking that it might be a little more, and we were all hoping for that, as you could hear. We were a little disgusted on that side of the court room, but what can you do?"
Kathy McCabe said she would never recover from the loss of her daughter.
She also said the incident has torn the small rural community of Dorchester apart.
The judge said he hopes this case will act as a deterrent for those tempted to drink and drive.
The province announced Friday that stricter penalties for drinking and driving are about to come into effect.
Share Tools
Latest New Brunswick News Headlines
- N.B. firefighters warned of lawsuit threat
- Firefighters need more protection against legal action, according to a former chief in New Brunswick. more »
- Armed robbery at Saint John gas bar
- There was an armed robbery at a Saint John, N.B., gas station Friday night. more »
- Cataractes advance to Memorial Cup final by beating Sea Dogs
- Yannick Veilleux broke a tie at 13:14 of the third period as the host Shawinigan Cataractes upset the defending champion Saint John Sea Dogs 7-4 in the semifinal of the Mastercard Memorial Cup on Friday night. more »
- 4 arrests in Elsipogtog drug trafficking case
- Four people are facing charges in connection with a two-month long investigation into prescription drug trafficking on Elsipogtog First Nation. more »
Top News Headlines
- Lisa Raitt closer to ending CP Rail strike
- Labour Minister Lisa Raitt is prepared to end the Canadian Pacific Rail strike if necessary, after both CP Rail and the union rejected a proposal for voluntary arbitration by the government-appointed negotiator on Sunday. Raitt tells CBC News she is "extremely disappointed." more »
- Syrian regime denies role in Houla massacre
- The UN Security Council condemned the Syrian regime at an emergency meeting Sunday, holding president Bashar al-Assad's military responsible for the massacre of more than 100 people, dozens of whom were children younger than 10 years old. more »
- Ryder Hesjedal wins prestigious Giro d'Italia
- Victoria, B.C., native Ryder Hesjedal has become the first Canadian to win one of the cycling world's three Grand Tour events, wrapping up the 2012 Giro d'Italia with an excellent performance in the final stage in Milan. more »
- Neighbour may have helped find missing kids in Mexico
- Two Winnipeg children who had been missing for nearly four years were found in Mexico after a man raised concerns about his neighbour, according to a private investigator. more »
- N.B. firefighters warned of lawsuit threat
- 'Suspicious' fire destroys former school in Marysville
- Armed robbery at Saint John gas bar
- David Alward worried about EI changes
- 4 arrests in Elsipogtog drug trafficking case
- Woman robs store in Tracadie-Sheila
- Loose dog prevents mail delivery to area residents
- Nickelback heading to Moncton this summer
- Pension snafu may erode public trust, says Norton
