Victims' families angry at Saskatoon fatal crash sentence

The teenage passenger in a stolen truck that killed two teens in Saskatoon last year received a three-year sentence today. 

The 18-year-old teen, who cannot be named because of her age at the time of the accident, gets one year off her sentence for time served, four months in closed custody, four months in open custody, and four months in a community home. She then gets one-year probation. 

The crash killed two 17-year-old teens — J.P. Haughey and Sarah Wensley. The teen encouraged the driver of a stolen truck to not stop for police that were chasing them. The truck ran a stop sign, and broadsided a car carrying three students from Bethlehem High School.

Outside of court, Haughey's parents were critical of what they called a short sentence.

"They're saying it's okay to go out there and commit crimes. There's no deterrent," said father Alex Haughey. "It's okay to go out there and kill our children." 

The three year sentence was the maximum that could be given under the Youth Criminal Justice System.

"As crown prosecutors, our job is to review the facts of the case, to look at all of the circumstances surrounding the facts, as well as the offender, and seek an appropriate sentence," said prosecutor Jaimie MacLean. "And that's what we did here. It was our view that appropriate sentence was that maximum sentence, which is what we sought."

Defence lawyer Lori Johnstone-Clarke said her client had a very harsh upbringing. Apprehended by social services at the age of two, her client was eventually passed around from family member to family member. Eventually, she dropped out of school, and became a gang member.

"This kid was essentially left, since the age of ten, on her own," said Johnstone-Clarke. "You go into survival mode. You become very tough, and you have a rough exterior. But at the end of the day, she's been able to go and dig very deep inside of her, and she's been able to open up and begin to trust."

She also said her client was only a passenger in the crash, and that should be remembered during sentencing.

"As I said in court, it was a domino effect," said Johnstone-Clarke. "She abetted, by way of encouraging, and she was remorseful, she wanted to accept responsibility for the role she played."

The guilty teen is also ordered to stay in school, avoid alcohol and drugs, and not wear signs or colours of the Indian Posse street gang. 

Victim impact

During sentencing, family and friends of Haughey and Wensley got their chance today to speak directly to one of the people responsible for the fatal crash.

It made for a harrowing, emotional three hours in court.

"I'm scared of where my mind is taking me," said JP Haughey's mother, Marilou.

"I lost my best friend," said Sarah Wensley's father, Dave.

The driver of the truck, Cheyann Peeteetuce, pleaded guilty to counts of dangerous driving causing death. She'll be sentenced in March.

Last month, the teen passenger pleaded guilty to five charges connected to the crash: two counts of being a party to dangerous driving and evading police causing death, one count of evading police causing bodily harm, one count of being an occupant of a motor vehicle knowing it was stolen, and one count of breaching a court undertaking.