The Calgary man who drove drunk and killed Cochrane teen Brandon Thomas in a December 2012 collision could face a two-year sentence after pleading guilty to two impaired driving charges.
Ryan Jordan Gibson, 23, pleaded guilty to driving over the .08 legal alcohol limit causing death and driving over .08 causing bodily harm in a Calgary court Jan. 6.
The four other charges that Gibson was facing will be withdrawn, which brought the preliminary hearing to a halt and eliminating a possible trial. Both the Crown and defence lawyers are seeking a sentence of two years plus a day to be served in a federal prison.
Crown prosecutor Ron Simenik explained the decision to accept the guilty plea was based on the certainty of conviction, as opposed to the gamble of going to trial.
A packed courtroom heard the guilty plea, including the victim’s friends and family who were wearing shirts in memory of 17-year-old Thomas.
Kim Thomas, Brandon’s mother, was hoping for a trial.
“They sold Brandon out,” said Thomas, who faced Gibson for the first time in the courtroom.
“I wanted it to go to trial. I wanted to be there to hear what Brandon went through. Mostly, I wanted Ryan (Gibson) to hear and be accountable for what he did.”
The evening of the crash, Gibson was in Cochrane visiting with friends, said Simenik in an agreed statement of facts.
Heading home to Calgary at about 6 p.m. Dec. 6, Gibson travelled south on Highway 22. He pulled into the northbound lane to pass two semi trucks and remained in the lane. He forced two vehicles into the ditch, injuring one person, before his truck collided head-on with Brandon’s Subaru Impreza.
Brandon died at the scene.
Gibson remained on scene and cooperated with Cochrane RCMP, continued Simenik. Based on breath test results, it was estimated Gibson’s blood alcohol level was between 0.17 and 0.18 at the time of the collision — more than double Alberta’s legal limit of .08.
Alain Hepner, Gibson’s defence lawyer, said his client showed remorse and regret immediately following the crash.
He added that Gibson — who was 22 years old at the time of the collision — had no criminal record.
Gibson remains free at this time, but is restricted to travel within Alberta and British Columbia.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 16.
