By Sarah Stone

Chamakese sentenced 26 months for hit-and-run

Feb 11, 2014 | 10:26 AM

The woman responsible for the death of Daniel Carter, 21, in 2010, has been sentenced.

On Tuesday at Prince Albert Court of Queen’s Bench, Danielle Chamakese, 22, was sentenced to serve 26 months at a federal institution for a dangerous driving causing death charge. She was also sentenced nine months to be served concurrently for leaving the scene of an accident.

In addition, Chamakese will need to provide a peace officer DNA samples, is prohibited from driving for one year after her sentenced is served, and will have to pay a victim surcharge fine of $200. 

Before her sentence was handed down, Chamakese, dressed in all black, made a statement to the court.

“I want to apologize to the family and the court … Why do bad things happen to good people?,” she asked.

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Chamakese admitted the incident that led to Carter’s death was a mistake and an accident.

“When I think back on the person I used to be I was so scared,” she said through tears in the prisoner’s box. “I no longer feel like a role model.”

“I have a caring heart … one day I hope for forgiveness.”

In his sentencing, Justice R.S. Smith recommended Chamakese be considered for entry into the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge in Maple Creek, Sask.

“I respectfully submit to the officials that Ms. Chamakese would benefit from that program and may well prove an asset for other prisoners in the program,” Smith said.

To the family, he said the law will be served today, but what he can’t do is “fill the void in your lives by reason of Daniel’s loss.”

As Chamakese was escorted out of court, she held back tears while her family and friends, and family and friends of Carter, looked on.

“[There was] nothing that wasn’t expected. The sentence was in the range for what the Crown was asking for and for what defense was asking for. [The] judge sentenced appropriately,” said defense counsel Greg A. Chovin.

On Sept. 19, 2010 at the corner of 14th Street and Second Avenue West Chamakese hit Carter with her car. He was taken to hospital where he later died. She was found guilty last December for causing Carter’s death.

Family reacts

Outside of court Carter’s mother Karen Anthony-Burns and his step-father Robert Burns said they now have to move on.

“I guess it’s over. Whatever the judge says dictates the law and we have to live with it regardless of what it is and unfortunately, like he said, it will never bring Daniel back, but I guess we’ll have to carry on as best we can,” Robert said, standing closely beside his wife.

The sentence delivered to Chamakese was fair, said Karen.

“Sometimes I feel that still a matter of is she truly sorry or is she sorry that she got caught at the time, I don’t know, she probably is sorry. How can you not be right?” Karen said.

“I hope she is as sorry as she says she is and I hope that this will turn her life around eventually.”

In response to Chamakese’s statement, Karen said she is sure there will forgive her but “the pain is still there, the loss is there and I don’t think that she’ll ever have a sense of what we are truly going through and we’ll feel for the rest of our lives.”

Through tears, holding a picture of her son, Karen gave her last statement to the media.

“I always want him to know that we’re constantly thinking of him, he’s always in our heart and we certainly know we’ll never forget him.”

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84