Quin Kurtz gets nearly 2 years in jail for death of Austin Padaric
Melanie Ferrier | CBC News | Posted: January 14, 2016 8:20 PM | Last Updated: January 14, 2016
"His death took everything from me," said Padaric's mother in victim impact statement
Quin Kurtz, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the overdose death of 17-year-old Austin Padaric, has been sentenced to two years less a day in jail and three years of probation.
Kurtz appeared in a Kitchener courtroom on Thursday, where members of his family were sitting in the audience, as well as members of the Padaric family.
"He is remorseful," said Kurtz's lawyer Bruce Ritter. "He feels very badly for what happened."
In September, Kurtz pleaded guilty to three counts, including manslaughter, production of a controlled substance and trafficking of a controlled substance.
The charges are related to an incident that occurred on April 5, 2013, when Kurtz crushed some morphine pills for Padaric, who then snorted the drugs.
At around 3:00 a.m. the next morning, Padaric began to make strange breathing noises, but no one called 911 until 11:00 a.m.
His death took everything from me.... Being happy just doesn't seem right anymore. - Christine Padaric, mother of Austin Padaric
Padaric was rushed to hospital and put on life support, but was pronounced dead on April 12, 2013.
According to a statement of facts obtained by CBC News, the morphine pills "either caused or were a contributing factor in Austin Padaric's death."
Padaric's mother reacts
"His death took everything from me," said Christine Padaric, mother of Austin, when she read her victim impact statement to the court. "Being happy just doesn't seem right anymore."
Padaric said she feels like the "walking dead" and that she frequently relives the last days of her son's life in her dreams.
"My family will never forget you, Quin," she told the accused. Later, she told CBC News that Kurtz will "always be the person who killed my son."
But Padaric said she is able to feel empathy for Kurtz and hopes that he will use this experience to make other young people aware of the dangers of drug use.
"He is a human being," she said. "I know he has a lot of growing up to do. I just really hope that he makes something positive of this."