R. v. Okemahwasin (B.), 2015 SKPC 71

• Judge: Kalmakoff, P.C.J.
• Court: Provincial Court of Saskatchewan (Canada)
• Case Date: May 22, 2015
• Jurisdiction: Saskatchewan
• Citations: 2015 SKPC 71;(2015), 462 Sask.R. 28 (PC)

R. v. Okemahwasin (B.) (2015), 462 Sask.R. 28 (PC)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2015] Sask.R. TBEd. MY.053

Her Majesty the Queen v. Brian Okemahwasin

(Information No. 40681046; 2015 SKPC 71)

Indexed As: R. v. Okemahwasin (B.)

Saskatchewan Provincial Court

Kalmakoff, P.C.J.

May 22, 2015.

Summary:

The accused aboriginal pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death.

The Saskatchewan Provincial Court sentenced the accused to nine years' imprisonment, less 17 months for 348 days of pretrial custody.

Criminal Law - Topic 5801.1

Sentencing - General - Proportionality - The 42 year old accused aboriginal pleaded to impaired driving causing death - He had been drinking and driving all night - An off-duty police officer observed his vehicle swerving, fish tailing and partially leaving the road surface, at speeds ranging from 70 to 130 km/hr - Eventually, he slammed into the victim's car - He did not brake prior to impact and was travelling 94 km/hr in a 50 km/hr zone - The accused attempted to walk away but was subdued by the off-duty officer - More than two hours later, his blood-alcohol level was 299 mg/% - At the time, his driving license was suspended - He had experienced racism in school, in employment and in contact with the police - At age 10 he was sent to a residential school - Although he spent only a short period there, he was sexually assaulted and witnessed other students being sexually assaulted - He started abusing alcohol in his early teenage years and continued to do so - In 1992, his sister was murdered on the Saskatoon streets - Since 1991 he had been convicted of 200 offences, including four impaired driving offences and countless others related to alcohol abuse - Remorseful - The Saskatchewan Provincial Court stated that the offence was so serious and the accused's level of moral culpability so great, even considered in light of his unique personal circumstances and experiences as an aboriginal, that a sentence not involving a prison term at the top end of the range would violate the principles of proportionality and parity and ignore the pressing need for denunciation and deterrence - Additionally, the accused needed lengthy and intensive treatment, not only to rehabilitate him, but to protect the public - The court had no confidence that he would be able to do that outside of a custodial setting - The court sentenced the accused to nine years' imprisonment, less 17 months for 348 days of pretrial custody.

Criminal Law - Topic 5806.1

Sentencing - General - Sentence parity - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5801.1 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5832

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Rehabilitation - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5801.1 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5846.1

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Aboriginal offenders - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5801.1 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5849.13

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Drinking and driving offences - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5801.1 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5864.1

Sentence - Impaired driving causing death - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5801.1 ].

Cases Noticed:

R. v. C.A.M., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 500; 194 N.R. 321; 73 B.C.A.C. 81; 120 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 8].

R. v. Berner (C.-A.) (2013), 337 B.C.A.C. 146; 576 W.A.C. 146; 297 C.C.C.(3d) 69; 2013 BCCA 188, refd to. [para. 15].

R. v. Nasogaluak (L.M.), [2010] 1 S.C.R. 206; 398 N.R. 107; 474 A.R. 88; 479 W.A.C. 88; 2010 SCC 6, refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Alm (J.B.) (2013), 414 Sask.R. 41; 575 W.A.C. 41; 2013 SKCA 40, refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Solowan (K.S.T.), [2008] 3 S.C.R. 309; 381 N.R. 191; 261 B.C.A.C. 27; 440 W.A.C. 27; 2008 SCC 62, refd to. [para. 21].

R. v. J.L.M.A. (2010), 499 A.R. 1; 514 W.A.C. 1; 264 C.C.C.(3d) 134; 2010 ABCA 363, refd to. [para. 21].

R. v. Ipeelee (M.), [2012] 1 S.C.R. 433; 428 N.R. 1; 288 O.A.C. 224; 318 B.C.A.C. 1; 541 W.A.C. 1; 2012 SCC 13, refd to. [para. 21].

R. v. Kang (M.) (2014), 444 Sask.R. 260; 2014 SKQB 132, refd to. [para. 22].

R. v. Yuzicapi (D.L.) (2010), 377 Sask.R. 133; 528 W.A.C. 133; 2011 SKCA 134, refd to. [para. 22].

R. v. Smith (T.D.) (2013), 337 B.C.A.C. 27; 576 W.A.C. 27; 296 C.C.C.(3d) 386; 2013 BCCA 173, refd to. [para. 23].

R. v. Johnson (D.K.) (1996), 84 B.C.A.C. 261; 137 W.A.C. 261; 112 C.C.C.(3d) 225 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 23].

R. v. Bernshaw (N.), [1995] 1 S.C.R. 254; 176 N.R. 81; 53 B.C.A.C. 1; 87 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 23].

R. v. Trinh (M.T.) (2012), 539 A.R. 297; 561 W.A.C. 297; 2012 ABCA 383, refd to. [para. 36].

R. v. Ross (K.D.) (2013), 417 Sask.R. 149; 580 W.A.C. 149; 2013 SKCA 77, refd to. [para. 37].

R. v. Safarzadeh-Markhali (H.) (2014), 325 O.A.C. 17; 316 C.C.C.(3d) 87; 2014 ONCA 627, refd to. [para. 42].

R. v. Ly (T.Q.), [2013] 1 S.C.R. 739; 441 N.R. 375; 544 A.R. 40; 567 W.A.C. 40; 2013 SCC 15, refd to. [para. 42].

R. v. Pham (H.A.) - see R. v. Ly (T.Q.).

R. v. Gibson (R.J.) (2015), 593 A.R. 380; 637 W.A.C. 380; 2015 ABCA 41, refd to. [para. 42].

R. v. Anderson (F.), [2014] 2 S.C.R. 167; 458 N.R. 1; 350 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 289; 1088 A.P.R. 289; 2014 SCC 41, refd to. [para. 42].

R. v. Ramage (R.) (2010), 265 O.A.C. 158; 257 C.C.C.(3d) 261; 2010 ONCA 488, refd to. [para. 43].

R. v. Junkert (M.) (2010), 267 O.A.C. 7; 98 M.V.R.(5th) 14; 2010 ONCA 549, refd to. [para. 43].

R. v. Kummer (A.L.) (2011), 273 O.A.C. 378; 266 C.C.C.(3d) 32; 2011 ONCA 39, refd to. [para. 43].

R. v. Ruizfuentes (H.S.) (2010), 258 Man.R.(2d) 220; 499 W.A.C. 220; 2010 MBCA 90, refd to. [para. 44].

R. v. York (K.J.), [2015] A.R. TBEd. AP.043; 2015 ABCA 129, refd to. [para. 45].

R. v. Daoud, 2011 CarswellOnt 1904 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 46].

R. v. Niganobe (J.), [2010] O.A.C. Uned. 328; 95 M.V.R.(5th) 175; 2010 ONCA 508, refd to. [para. 46].

R. v. Cooper (M.) (2007), 255 N.S.R.(2d) 18; 814 A.P.R. 18; 2007 NSSC 130, refd to. [para. 47].

R. v. Morash (L.W.), [2011] N.S.R.(2d) Uned. 133; 2011 NSSC 99, refd to. [para. 47].

R. v. Levesque, 2009 QCCQ 7792, refd to. [para. 48].

R. v. Lepire, 2006 CarswellQue 9832 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 48].

R. v. Dressler, 2005 CarswellOnt 9150 (C.J.), refd to. [para. 48].

R. v. Lacasse, 2014 QCCA 1061, leave to appeal granted [2014] S.C.C.A. 324, refd to. [para. 49].

R. v. Cote (D.A.) (2007), 300 Sask.R. 194; 2007 SKPC 100, refd to. [para. 50].

R. v. Bear (C.C.) (2008), 320 Sask.R. 12; 444 W.A.C. 12; 2008 SKCA 172, refd to. [para. 51].

R. v. Bush (L.) (2012), 300 O.A.C. 1; 2012 ONCA 743, refd to. [para. 52].

R. v. McCowan (K.J.) (2010), 251 Man.R.(2d) 295; 478 W.A.C. 295; 2010 MBCA 45, refd to. [para. 52].

R. v. Purtill (B.), [2013] O.A.C. Uned. 558; 2013 ONCA 692, refd to. [para. 52].

R. v. Mooswa, [2004] S.J. No. 851 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 53].

R. v. Gladue (J.T.), [1999] 1 S.C.R. 688; 238 N.R. 1; 121 B.C.A.C. 161; 198 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 56].

R. v. Gabriel (Q.J.) (2013), 291 Man.R.(2d) 291; 570 W.A.C. 291; 2013 MBCA 45, refd to. [para. 56].

R. v. Peekeekoot (A.H.) (2014), 446 Sask.R. 22; 621 W.A.C. 22; 2014 SKCA 97, refd to. [para. 57].

R. v. Moise (M.W.) (2015), 457 Sask.R. 190; 632 W.A.C. 190; 2015 SKCA 39, refd to. [para. 57].

R. v. Worm (J.) et al. (2014), 442 Sask.R. 228; 616 W.A.C. 228; 2014 SKCA 94, refd to. [para. 59].

R. v. McArthur (E.) (2013), 427 Sask.R. 180; 591 W.A.C. 180; 2013 SKCA 139, refd to. [para. 62].

R. v. Popowich (M.J.) (2013), 544 A.R. 312; 567 W.A.C. 312; 2013 ABCA 149, refd to. [para. 62].

R. v. Edmonds (P.B.) (2012), 539 A.R. 110; 561 W.A.C. 110; 2012 ABCA 340, refd to. [para. 62].

R. v. Dick (K.D.) (2015), 319 Man.R.(2d) 53; 638 W.A.C. 53; 2015 MBCA 47, refd to. [para. 62].

R. v. Summers (S.), [2014] 1 S.C.R. 575; 456 N.R. 1; 316 O.A.C. 349; 2014 SCC 26, refd to. [para. 66].

Counsel:

Chris Davison and Kim Jones, for the Crown;

Doug Andrews, Q.C., for the accused.

This matter was heard at Regina, Saskatchewan, by Kalmakoff, P.C.J., of the Saskatchewan Provincial Court, who delivered the following judgment on May 22, 2015.