Crown wants adult sentence for Calgary youth in Sgt. Harnett death

A prosecutor has asked for an adult sentence of 11-13 years for the youth found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Sgt. Andrew Harnett.

Harnett, 37, died in hospital after being dragged by a vehicle where he was performing a traffic stop in the Falconridge area in the city’s northeast.

The driver, who cannot be identified because he was 17 at the time, said he was frightened when Harnett and another officer approached the vehicle during the traffic stop.

He testified he saw Harnett place his hand on his gun.

The driver’s defence lawyer had argued his client was guilty of manslaughter, not murder, and the judge agreed when she announced her verdict last year.

Crown prosecutor Mike Ewanson said the 20-year-old man was only days away from turning 18 when Harnett was killed, so he deserves to be tried as an adult.

“If this offence had occurred just 11 days later, this discussion, with all due respect, wouldn’t be happening,” he told Court of King’s Bench Justice Anna Loparco on Wednesday.

“He may have already been planning his 18th birthday party, that’s how close we are to law considering him to be an adult.”

Read More: Teen found guilty of manslaughter in Calgary officer’s hit-and-run death

He said in this case, the law “has to draw a line in the sand between youth and adult”.

In her verdict, Loparco said she couldn’t find that the accused had the intent to commit the crime.

But Ewenson said: “His moral blameworthiness is through the roof.”

Although the driver did not have the intent to murder, his actions led to the death of a police officer, the prosecutor said.

“It is one of the most serious crimes that a person can commit in Canadian law,” he said.

“For Sgt. Harnett, this is not just someone who is a brother, a son, a partner and an expectant father at the time he was killed. This was taking the life of someone who quite literally took an oath to protect each and every member of the community here in Calgary.”

Court will hear from five victim impact statements on Thursday, which includes hearing from two of Harnett’s brothers.

The judge will rule on may 10 on whether an adult sentence is appropriate.

The passenger in the vehicle, Amir Abdulrahman, earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to five years.