Indigenous woman’s background, trauma justify house arrest for DUI crash that killed her best friend: judge – National Post

Jayden Starr Okemow, who was more than three times over the legal limit when she crashed a vehicle and killed Hayley Linklater in May 2023, will serve her sentence on house arrest

An Indigenous woman from Winnipeg who killed her best friend and roommate in a drunk driving accident three years ago will be allowed to serve her sentence at home, largely because of her racial background and “life circumstances … shaped by a history of trauma and discrimination,” a judge ruled last month.

Jayden Starr Okemow, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of driving with a blood alcohol level exceeding .08 causing the death of Hayley Linklater, but only after the Crown called the majority of its witnesses.

Read More: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/manitoba-indigenous-sentencing-drunk-driving-best-friend-death