A Colwood court sentenced a man who crashed his car while high on meth to six years of prison and a 35-year driving ban this week.
Matthew Darlington pleaded guilty to one count of driving while under the influence of methamphetamine causing the death of his seven-year-old son.
Judge Ted Gouge's decision found that Darlington ingested methamphetamine seven hours before the fatal early-morning crash on Sooke Road on September 7, 2021. The man also ingested cannabis three hours before the crash.
Darlington already had a prohibition on driving. The crash also injured his two other children and their mother.
Gouge described Darlington as a man who "simply refuses to obey the law," with a distain for court orders. The judgement references a criminal record including convictions for violent acts and threats, along with several convictions for driving while prohibited since 2011.
"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."