Richard Valiquette has been sentenced to three years in prison for criminal negligence causing the death of 17-year-old Gavin Adams, whose body was found frozen in the snow after taking the synthethic drug 25-i back in December of 2013.
After the sentence was handed down to the now 28-year-old Valiquette and before he was taken into custody, his longtime girlfriend hugged him and sobbed.
Justice Fred Ferguson says that the sentence must protect the public, and in this case, the youthful public from powerful drugs and must also serve to rehabilitate Valiquette.
“When considering the degree of responsibility for the death of Gavin Adams that Mr. Valiquette bears one might resort to the rhetorical question: Would Gavin Adams have died ‘probably of cold explosure’…had Mr. Valiquette not given him the 25i,” Justice Ferguson says in his decision.
“The answer to that question is a simple no.”
Justice Ferguson: ‘no sentence will bring peace to the grieving family of Gavin Adams’ & any sentence will seem ‘onerous’ to Valiquette’s
— Laura Lyall (@LauraLyall) May 16, 2017
Adams took four tabs of the psychedelic designer drug 25i, which was not technically illegal in Canada at the time, at Valiquette’s apartment which was described as an ‘especially good batch.’ and Adams’ along with his friend Adrian Goguen were ‘grossly intoxicated.’ Temperatures were bitterly cold that evening.
Two days later, Adams’ body was found in a snowbank in the area of Chesley Drive and Hilyard Street.
Gavin Adams’ father, David Adams, with his wife and Gavin’s mom Sonja Adams at his side, says that getting time in a penitentiary is what they hoped would be the outcome.
“I think Mr. Valiquette didn’t feel he had any jeopardy in Gavin’s death at all going into this process, now he knows otherwise,” says David Adams, “and I hope that message is also communicated to others who may think they are not held responsible for putting peoples lives in danger in this circumstance.”
David Adams, Gavin’s father, says prison time is what they had been hoping for, to serve as a deterrent for others. pic.twitter.com/NqxbHwKGIU
— Laura Lyall (@LauraLyall) May 16, 2017
Valiquette has also been sentenced to one year behind bars for the production of DMT, a charge he plead guilty to and will serve at the same time as his sentence for criminal negligence causing death.
(Richard Valiquette top right photo, Gavin Adams bottom right photo).
