Sentencing in Carson Crimeni manslaughter trial begins

The sentencing hearing in the Carson Crimeni case started on Thursday at B.C. Provincial Court in New Westminster.

The 14-year-old died on Aug. 7, 2019, after an apparent drug overdose at the Walnut Grove skate park in Langley. He was with a group of older teens at the time.

Instead of calling 911, a group filmed the boy’s final moments and shared them on social media.

The teen was found by paramedics and police “in serious medical distress” and was taken to hospital, where he died.

The case led to dozens of tips and more than 100 witnesses were interviewed.

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Carson’s grandfather, Darrel Crimeni, was in the courthouse for the proceedings, and he tells CityNews it has been extremely emotional to relive Carson’s death.

“There’s no words, it’s really, really emotional,” he said. “I couldn’t read my own impact statement. There’s no way I could get through it, I had the crown read it for me … it’s that emotional.”

Crown is asking for the accused — who can’t be named due to being underaged at the time of the incident — to serve two years in custody and another year of probation. Darrel says three years is the maximum allowed for youths, but it is “up to the judge” to determine how that three years will be split between custody and probation.

As Darrel explains, the day’s proceeding included other impact statements read by the family, as well as cases deemed comparable being presented to the court — although he notes none of them felt like Carson’s case.

“Nothing is the same as what happened to Carson.”

The sentencing hearing continues on Friday and Darrel says witnesses and letters of support will be brought before the court, but Darrel doesn’t believe any decision will happen on Friday.

“I am a little disappointed. Before I went to court, I really thought something would be tomorrow,” he said. “Who knows … could be two weeks, four weeks away.”

A charge of manslaughter was laid in September 2021. Investigators said at the time the accused, who was then 20, surrendered himself to police.

The person accused in the case pleaded guilty to manslaughter in May 2023, and Darrel says the guilty plea improves the situation, as it saves the family from having to endure a trial process in court.

“They had 30 days set aside for a trial. I certainly wasn’t looking forward to that,” he said.

In the end, Darrel says the most important things concluding events in this saga are the guilty plea and the sentencing — “so that it doesn’t happen to other boys — the proof to show everybody its wrong.”

With files from Sarah Chew