Deadly drunk driver granted parole, told to stay away from Fraser Lake

A man serving a four-year sentence for killing a married father of three while driving drunk has been banned from traveling to Fraser Lake while serving the rest of his term in a halfway house.

It was one of the conditions a Parole Board of Canada panel issued to Christopher Clayton Scott McGuiney, 34, in an Oct. 31 decision to grant him day parole.

“The victim’s family have the right to be free from any unwanted contact from you,” the panel said.

Duane Francis Pearson, 46, died Jan. 17, 2014, at the scene on Highway 16 near the community west of Prince George. Pearson lived in 100 Mile House at the time but worked at West Fraser sawmill in Fraser Lake.

Friends and family filed numerous victim impact statements to the panel prior to its decision.

“The statements speak of the profound loss they have in their lives and also describe the ongoing anxiety and trauma they have experienced,” the panel said.

Several of them suggested the parole board should not consider him for any type of release, saying the fact that he twice breached his bail by drinking showed a lack of remorse.

However, the panel found his behaviour while behind bars has been appropriate. He regularly attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and his case management team found he has accepted full responsibility for the offence.

On the breaches of his bail, McGuiney told the panel he made a poor decision when he moved in with his girlfriend who also had substance misuse issues and acknowledged he rationalized his drinking by the fact he was not driving.

Conditions of McGuiney’s parole also include being prohibited from consuming alcohol or entering any bars or liquor stores and staying away from anyone involved in substance abuse. He has roughly 18 months left on his sentence.

In sentencing McGuiney in May 2016, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ron Tindale accepted in full Crown counsel’s position, and emphasized his criminal record, which includes convictions for driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08 and driving while impaired and a number of other alcohol-related driving suspensions.

McGuiney, who pleaded guilty to drunk driving causing death, was also prohibited from driving for 10 years upon completing his sentence.

The court was told McGuiney had been drinking at a friend’s home in Fraser Lake from early in the afternoon to about 8:20 p.m. when he and two others decided to drive to a pub in Fort Fraser.

McGuiney was behind the wheel of a large pickup truck when just six minutes after leaving the home, he lost control and veered into the oncoming lane, striking Pearson’s SUV.

Pearson, who had been driving to work at the Fraser Lake sawmill where both he and McGuiney were employed, died at the scene while one of the passengers in the pickup was also injured.

The collision occurred about 70 metres west of the intersection of Highway 16, which was in a slippery condition, and Orange Valley Road, about 8.4 kilometres east of Fraser Lake.

At the time, McGuiney was in a “toxic” relationship with Nicole Larson, the passenger who was injured in the crash and had yielded to her suggestion to drive, Tindale noted.

It was agreed that his bloodalcohol level was between .192 and .214.

During a sentencing hearing, 20 victim impact statements from friends and family were read out in court.

The full decision is posted with this story at princegeorgecitizen.com.