The sentencing hearing for a Langford man responsible for the death of West Shore RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett is expected to continue on July 7.
The hearing for Kenneth Jacob Fenton — known as Jake Fenton — began Wednesday in Western Communities provincial court.
In May, Fenton pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing the death of Beckett, a 32-year-old mother of two young boys.
She was killed on the early morning of April 5, 2016, when her police cruiser was struck by Fenton’s pick-up truck at the intersection of Goldstream Avenue and Peatt Road.
An agreed statement of facts revealed there was no police chase and Fenton did not attempt to flee police.
The statement offered the following account of what happened.
Fenton’s blood alcohol was 3.5 times the legal limit when an RCMP corporal returning from another call, spotted Fenton’s truck with no tail lights illuminated. The Mountie put his cruiser lights on, but not his siren, as he followed Fenton on Peatt Road.
About 200 metres before the intersection at Goldstream Avenue, Fenton began to accelerate on the straight stretch of road. The corporal saw the back end of the truck wiggle and believed Fenton was trying to flee. Fenton was distracted by the police car lights in his rear view mirror. Because he was impaired by alcohol, he failed to see the light at the intersection, which had been red for eight seconds.
His truck hit Beckett at a speed estimated at between 76 and 90 kilometres an hour. He applied his brakes a split section before he hit her cruiser.
The lights on the police car were only on for five to seven seconds, court heard.
At the emotional sentencing hearing, the Crown asked for a sentence of up to five years. The defence asked for a three-year prison sentence.
