B.C. father sentenced for impaired driving crash that killed 7-year-old son

Scales of justice. (Shutterstock)

A B.C. man who crashed his car when he was high on meth, causing the death of his seven-year-old son and injuring his two other children and their mother, has been sentenced to six years in prison and banned from driving for 35 years.

Matthew Darlington pleaded guilty one count of driving while under the influence of methamphetamine causing death in the 2021 crash, where his vehicle hit a tree on the side of the highway near Sooke. He told the court he has no memory of the crash.

The sentence was handed down in a Colwood court on Tuesday, with the judge describing Darlington as a repeat offender who "simply refuses to obey the law" and someone who should "never again drive a motor vehicle."

Darlington's criminal record "includes convictions for acts of violence and threats of violence" as well as a long history of driving offences, according to the decision.

Between 2011 and 2019, Darlington was convicted seven times of driving while prohibited. At the time of the fatal crash, he was prohibited from driving and by the time he was sentenced he had racked up two more driving-related convictions.

"It is worthy of note that the tragic accident on Sept. 7, 2021, did not deter him from driving, in defiance of his prohibition," the decision said.

Judge Ted Gouge also said Darlington had repeatedly demonstrated "disdain for court orders," citing seven convictions for breaching bail and probation orders between 2013 and 2018.

Darlington's lawyer asked the court to impose a conditional sentence of two years less a day, which the judge emphatically rejected.

"Mr. Darlington poses a serious threat to public safety. His disobedience of past driving prohibitions demonstrates that he will probably continue to drive, no matter what order I make," Gouge said.

"His lengthy and serious driving history demonstrates that, when driving, he puts others at constant risk. As a consequence, the only way in which I can protect the public from him is to order his incarceration."

Crown asked for a prison sentence of five or six years. The judge imposed the latter while also saying it was "insufficient" in his view.

"A sentence of eight years would be appropriate," Gouge said. "However, I think it unwise, in most cases, to impose a longer sentence of imprisonment than that sought by Crown counsel."

Crown also sought a 15-year driving prohibition, which the judge described as "manifestly insufficient" and opted to ban Darlington from driving for more than twice as long.