A Kingston Superior Court judge has found a Port Perry man guilty of criminal negligence, rejecting his claim he was sleep-driving when his van struck and killed an oncoming motorcycle west of Kaladar.
Justice Helen MacLeod-Beliveau ruled 47-year-old William Spears was not experiencing parasomnia when he drove erratically on highway seven on August 16th, 2006, before his collision with 37-year-old Scott Millar of Almonte, who was driving a motorcycle.
She rejected a defence theory Spears was experiencing automatism and was not responsible for the crash, and declared him guilty of criminal negligence causing death and criminal negligence causing bodily harm. Spears, whose driving also caused Miller’s wife to crash her motorcycle, resulting in serious injuries, will be sentenced on April first.
