Judge Criticizes Overly Broad Victim Statements in Sentencing of Meth-Fueled Carjacker
A Calgary court sentenced repeat offender Duane Nepoose to ten years for a fatal high-speed crash, while the presiding judge rebuked the Crown for allowing excessive victim impact statements.
In Calgary, repeat criminal Duane Nepoose was sentenced to ten years after a meth-induced high-speed collision killed nine-year-old Victoria Desjardins and injured her mother, sister, and another driver. Nepoose had just robbed the vehicle’s owner and was attempting to evade police when his Dodge Caravan ran a red light at 170 km/h. He pleaded guilty to robbery, fleeing police, dangerous driving causing death, and three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Justice Indra Maharaj highlighted that 22 victim impact statements were submitted, with 18 read in court, but many contained content outside the Criminal Code’s restrictions. The judge admonished the Crown prosecutor for permitting statements that were overly broad, inflammatory, or irrelevant, and urged tighter pre-screening. Maharaj also suggested that statements from young cousins and a babysitter be combined into a single community impact statement rather than presented individually in a formal courtroom setting.
Why it matters
The case underscores limits on victim statements and the need for balanced sentencing procedures.
In this story
