Repeat drunk driver gets jail time

A P.E.I. man with a history of drunk driving was sentenced recently to six months in jail after his latest conviction.

Lawrence Lee Peters, 41, appeared before Justice Jacqueline Matheson in P.E.I. Supreme Court for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to impaired driving.

Peters arrived to court late after Matheson issued a warrant for his arrest.

Defence lawyer Yolande Murphy said Peters told her he wouldn’t make it to court because of a medical appointment.

The sentencing proceeded when Peters showed up soon after Matheson issued the warrant.

Peters pleaded guilty to impaired driving in 2017 after the police pulled him over and arrested him.

He told the police he was drunk, and Peters later provided breathalyzer samples that were almost twice the legal limit.

During the sentencing, Matheson referred to Peters’ prior record that included multiple convictions for impaired driving, refusing the breathalyzer and failing the breathalyzer.

Matheson said Peters had a long series of custodial sentences, but none seemed to have deterred him from drinking and driving.

Peters, who is Aboriginal, will be on probation for three years with conditions that include participating in a healing circle and undergoing a mental health assessment at the Abegweit First Nation Mi’kmaq Wellness Centre.

He is banned from driving for five years after his release and must pay a $200 victim surcharge.