CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A P.E.I. man who drove away from an accident he caused while drunk was sentenced recently to 10 days in jail.
Gary Thomas Johnston, 44, appeared before Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Charlottetown where he pleaded guilty to drunk driving.
Crown attorney Nathan Beck told the court that on Dec. 12, Charlottetown police responded to a report of an accident on Mariner Drive where they found Johnston’s vehicle with damage to the front passenger side. A nearby Jeep also had damage.
Beck said the Jeep’s driver told police Johnston hit her and kept going.
The woman went after Johnston and he pulled over down the road, Beck said.
Johnston later provided breathalyzer samples that were more than 2.5 times the legal limit.
Defence lawyer Justin Milne said Johnston had been dealing with a lot of stress, adding that he pulled over on his own.
“He panicked initially,” Milne said.
Along with the jail time, Orr fined Johnston $2,000 and ordered him to pay a $600 victim surcharge. He is banned from driving for one year.
