Latest news with #Michalyshyn
Edmonton Journal
03-07-2025
- Edmonton Journal
House arrest for Edmonton man who killed passenger in dangerous driving crash
Article content Time behind bars isn't necessary for an Edmonton motorist whose reckless driving caused a fatal crash four years ago, an Edmonton judge has ruled. Article content Court of King's Bench Justice Peter Michalyshyn on Thursday sentenced Yasin Artar for dangerous driving causing death, handing him a two-year conditional sentence to be served in the community. Article content Article content The sentence comes months after Artar pleaded guilty for the 2021 crash that killed his friend Arshdeep Bedi, 20. Article content Article content The Crown asked for a three-year prison term, but Michalyshyn said the community sentence would suitably denounce Artar's actions and deter others from dangerous driving. He also imposed a five-year criminal driving prohibition. Article content Article content According to an agreed statement of facts, Artar slammed his Mercedes into a lamppost on Rabbit Hill Road just before 3 a.m. on July 24, 2021. Three passengers were inside the car, which was travelling a minimum of 111 km/h in a 60 km/h zone when Artar lost control while cornering. The impact sheared off the back third of the vehicle, spraying debris including the driveshaft and battery across four lanes of traffic and into the fences of nearby homes. Article content 'The collision caused the light standard to bend nearly in half and was almost pulled out of the ground completely, notwithstanding its six-foot concrete base,' Michalyshyn said. Article content Article content Bedi was thrown 30 metres and died at the scene. Artar, 24, and the other passengers were 'relatively unscathed.' He remained at the scene tried to help his mortally wounded friend. Article content Article content While the police investigation determined Artar was speeding at the time of the crash and had alcohol in his system, it came up short on specifics. The best investigators could say was that the Mercedes was travelling at least 111 km/h on the roadway and 96 km/h when it struck the lamppost. They also determined Artar's blood alcohol level was 'in excess of the legal limit,' though neither the exact legal limit nor the amount of alcohol in his system were before the court. Article content Artar pleaded guilty to the single count last October. His lawyer, Graham Rapson, sought a conditional sentence, while Crown prosecutor Meghan Rohatyn asked for three years in prison. Article content Michalyshyn credited Artar for his guilty plea and the 'genuine shame and remorse' he feels for the crime. The guilty plea came despite potentially triable issues, including the admissibility of a blood sample, Michalyshyn said.
CBC
27-01-2025
- CBC
Two Edmonton teens found guilty in fatal group attack outside school
Two more teenagers accused in the killing of a Grade 10 student outside an Edmonton high school are guilty of manslaughter. Court of King's Bench Justice Peter Michalyshyn handed down his decision Monday for a pair of young men referred to in court as D.P. and S.G. They're among a group of seven young people charged after a fatal attack on April 8, 2022. At the time, their ages ranged from 14 to 17. None of them can be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Additional publication bans are also in place for the name of the victim and the school he attended. The two teens found guilty on Monday were 14 and 16 on the day of the assault. There isn't evidence that either of them stabbed the victim, but Michalyshyn said they were nonetheless part of a five-on-one assault that involved weapons. "The wounds were inflicted at some point in the swarming attack, in which both [teenagers] were active participants," Michalyshyn said. "It is unnecessary to determine who delivered the fatal blow. All members of the group are equally morally blameworthy." The judge determined the teens' involvement was in a random attack, and there wasn't evidence of planning from either of them. One of the teens, D.P., was captured on surveillance video armed with a field hockey stick during the attack. Michalyshyn said he didn't believe the young man's explanation for his actions when he took the stand in his own defence. "I do not believe him that his actions were just intended to impress the girls or people he was with," Michalyshyn said. While the teenager denied hitting the victim with the hockey stick, Michalyshyn said he believed eyewitness testimony that it happened at least once. "There is no evidence the striking contributed to the victim's death … but it clearly contributed to the atmosphere of fear and intimidation [he] was a part of." With the conclusion of this trial, only one remains — a teen whose manslaughter trial was adjourned last year, and is set to resume in March. A sentencing date will be set later this year for the two young men in this case. Four people have been sentenced to date after pleading guilty: A woman who was 17 at the time of the attack admitted that she drove a car away from the scene. She pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to an assault with a weapon, and was sentenced to 12 months probation. A young man who was 15 at the time admitted to driving a different car from the scene. He pleaded guilty to the same charge and received the same sentence as the driver of the other vehicle. A teen who was 15 at the time admitted to being part of a group assault on the victim, but did not stab or punch him. The teen pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received four months in jail. A teen who was 14 at the time admitted to stabbing the victim once and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail followed by 18 months of probation.
