The man who ran down a Kelowna Capital News carrier while evading Mounties was sentenced to nine more years in prison.
Donald Brodie was given nine year sentence for the charge of flight from police causing bodily harm and five years for criminal negligence causing bodily harm. The sentences are to be served concurrently, less 90 days for pre-trial custody.
Once freed, Brodie will be subject to a 10-year driving prohibition and a no-contact order with the man he ran down, Steve Kania.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Martha Devlin said she applied a heavy sentence because Brodie’s ongoing criminal activity “demonstrated the need to separate (him) from society.”
Brodie has racked up 43 criminal convictions in the past 18 years, from largely violent acts. In the last year, while in prison, he was even found guilty of assaulting a fellow inmate, by slashing him in the face with a razorblade.
While Devlin highlighted Brodie’s “unenviable” criminal record as cause to keep him away from the public, she also weighed Kania’s suffering into the equation when reaching a sentence.
Crown counsel David Grabavac said that Kania’s life was ruined Dec. 6, 2013 when Brodie smashed a car into him at top speed while trying to evade police.
Kania sustained brain and orthopaedic injuries in the impact and they’ve forever changed him.
“(Kania) currently lives in an old age home,” said Grabavac, highlighting that it’s an unfortunate state for someone who is only 45, but necessary given the lack of functionality that Kania experiences.
“(Donald Brodie) destroyed Steve Kania’s life …for the rest of his life he’ll suffer.”
Related: Man who struck newspaper carrier addresses court
After both defense and crown counsels made their sentencing submissions on Tuesday, Brodie was given the chance to speak.
He told the court others have spoken on his behalf during the trial and there wasn’t much more that he could say.
“I have to let my actions speak louder than my words,” he said.
Brodie is linked to both the UN and the Lords of Chaos gangs He has not shown himself to be either contrite or changed by his dealings with the court for these matters and has recently been convicted of a jailhouse assault.
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