Court upholds manslaughter sentence

Alberta's appeals court has upheld the sentence of an impaired driver who shot and killed another motorist after crashing into his car on a rural road near Edmonton.

Harpreet Kang — known as Harry — died after being shot in the head by Matthew Anderson after Anderson slammed his car into Kang's pickup truck on April 9, 2018.

Anderson, who is in his 30s, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 16 years in prison last fall by Justice Adam Germain.

Anderson later appealed, arguing that Germain erred in concluding the manslaughter was a “near murder.”

In a decision released Friday, a three-member Court of Appeal panel concluded there were no legal errors in Germain's decision and dismissed the appeal.

“The appellant's actions in all the circumstances were reckless, unlawful, and highly dangerous, and resulted in tragedy — the death of a 24-year-old who sadly was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” the court wrote.

The court noted Kang was a recent immigrant to Canada and that his “senseless death shattered his family.”

Kang and a friend were parked on Range Road 234, southeast of Anthony Henday Drive, when Anderson slammed his Acura into their pickup truck. Anderson had recently left a party where he drank alcohol and consumed pain medication. His car was travelling more than 160 kilometres per hour the instant before the collision.

All three of the vehicle occupants survived the crash.

Anderson shot Kang in the head with a Glock pistol he carried in a shoulder holster after Kang proposed calling the police.

Anderson was under a lifetime firearms prohibition and a oneyear driving prohibition at the time of the crimes.

Manslaughter involving firearms carries a minimum sentence of four years and a maximum of life in prison.