Impaired Ontario driver gets 17 years for fatal crash

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A 21-year-old driver has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for a crash that killed a woman and her three daughters in Brampton, Ontario in 2020. He will also be banned from driving for 20 years following his release.

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The driver, Brady Robertson, was tested following the crash and found to have a THC blood level of eight times the legal limit, along with a sedative. Ontario court judge Sandra Caponecchia handed down the sentence after first ruling against a challenge by Robertson’s lawyers, who argued that the blood samples and a search of Robertson’s car for drug evidence were unconstitutional.

The crash killed 37-year-old Karolina Ciasullo; and her daughters Klara, six; Lilianna, three; and one-year-old Mila. Robertson is considered to have served almost three years of his 17-year sentence while in custody awaiting trial, and now will spend 14 years and two months in prison.

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Robertson was speeding to evade police at the time of the crash. He ran a red light after swerving around traffic and going straight through the left turn lane. He then smashed into Ciasullo’s SUV, killing all the occupants. He didn’t have a valid driver’s licence, and had racked up 15 driving infractions over 30 months prior, including stunt driving and careless driving.

His Infiniti was not insured or properly registered. Two days prior, he drove the same vehicle over a curb and into sidewalk planters at a four-way stop. A video of the incident was captured by a coffee shop’s surveillance camera and admitted as evidence during the trial.

Following the fatal crash, Robertson was found to have 40 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood in his system. The legal limit is five nanograms. While he accepted the charges of dangerous driving causing death, he said he was not guilty of impaired driving. Robertson had been taken to hospital for injuries he sustained during the crash, where the blood samples were taken.

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While his lawyers accepted the 40 nanograms of THC as fact, they argued that the samples violated his charter rights of protection against “unreasonable search and seizure.” In September 2021, Caponecchia ruled in favour of accepting the evidence, paving the way for Robertson to be convicted of impaired driving.

The crown prosecutor asked for a 23-year sentence, which Caponecchia rejected as “unprecedented” and noted Robertson was remorseful and apologized to Ciasullo’s family, and did not have a criminal record as an adult. Robertson’s lawyers asked for seven years, which Caponecchia said was “insufficient.” Ciasullo’s family told reporters that the sentence is inadequate, and that for each life he took, he will spend less than four years behind bars.