A Prince Albert man whose drunk driving killed two young women is now serving a four-year penitentiary sentence.
Earlier this year, Jeremiah Jobb had entered guilty pleas to being drunk behind the wheel when he T-boned the car Taylor Litwin, 21, and Brandi Lepine, 17, were in. The crash happened in July of 2013 in the city’s East Hill area.
On Friday, a Prince Albert courtroom heard Jobb had been driving 120 km/h, and had a blood alcohol content more than twice over the legal limit when they collided. He had a designated driver that night who offered to drive, but Jobb refused to give up his keys.
During victim impact statements, court heard how the choices Jobb made that night reach even farther than those deaths.
Litwin died instantly due to blunt force trauma, while Lepine – who had been 26 weeks pregnant – was rushed to Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital.
Lepine’s emergency C-section led to her baby Aurora’s birth.
Before Brandi died, her mother Josephine Ledoux, saw her in hospital.
“I didn’t know this was the last time I would see her pretty face,” Ledoux said when reading her victim impact statement. Ledoux was supported by her partner, who had an arm around her while she read.
She cried, and was wracked with sobs by the time she finished. People could be heard in the courtroom’s gallery, where about 40 people sat, most of whom were also crying.
Ledoux called Brandi’s daughter an angel, and thanked Brandi for leaving a piece of her behind in Aurora
“I will never be able to take her place but I will do the best I can,” Ledoux said.
Aurora’s life has been a struggle right from the beginning. She has brain damage, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and has seizures as a result of the physical trauma and her premature birth.
Ledoux described the difficulty of surgeries and pain caused by the bad choices Jobb made that night.
“I want you to understand what you have taken from us,” she said to Jobb.
Ledoux was the only one to read her own victim impact statement. Statements from Litwin’s father Derrick, mother Bev Gobeil, sisters Jessica and Chelsey, and stepfather Leo Ledoux were read out by a victims services worker.
The statements outlined their loss of a woman who was known as “Tay” to her nieces and nephews: the resulting depression, regrets, job loss, numbness, and anger.
Jobb stood to address the victims’ families in court.
“I’m so sorry for your losses,” he said, repeating “I’m sorry” multiple times. He cried as he spoke.
Josephine and other family members, like Leo Ledoux, said they forgive Jobb.
“I know if Brandi was here, she would be like ‘mom, yes, you know what the best way to do it is forgive,’” Josephine said outside court after Jobb’s sentencing.
She explained what, to her, is the biggest loss of all.
“Aurora’s loss is greater than ours because she’ll never get to know her mom. She’ll never know how it feels to have her mom’s love, her mom hold her, kiss her, enjoy all the great things Brandi was supposed to enjoy with baby Aurora,” she said.
Justice G.N. Allbright enforced the four-year federal penitentiary sentence proposed through an agreement between the Crown and defense.
The sentence Jobb received is appropriate, Josephine said, and the court case wrapping up has brought her closure.
“I’m just glad that this is finally all dealt with and done with and that we can all finally move forward and focus on Aurora’s needs and our needs too, now.”
Jobb was also given a driving prohibition for two years once he’s released from custody, and was ordered to provide a DNA sample.