The amount of alcohol in Austin Deir’s blood at the time of a fatal highway collision won’t be an aggravating factor in his sentencing, a Clarenville courtroom heard Friday.

Deir was charged in January 2024 for the deaths of Haley Keating and Erin Pretty, both 22, when an SUV he was driving collided head-on with a smaller car.

He pled guilty to charges of dangerous driving causing death in April.

Deir’s appearance in court on Friday was a Gardiner hearing, used in sentencing when the facts of a case are disputed after a guilty plea.

Evidence heard in the courtroom suggested Deir had three to four glasses of whisky the night before of the collision. However, the court also heard that Deir’s blood-alcohol level was below the legal limit when tested.

Blood-alcohol level won’t factor into sentencing of man who plead guilty for dangerous driving

The sentencing of Austin Deir, who previously pled guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of two 22-year-old women, continued in Clarenville on Friday. The CBC’s Troy Turner reports on what the courtroom heard.

Deir’s blood sample also contained medication he takes for anxiety, the court heard.

In his decision, Judge Andrew Brown cited evidence from police, health professionals and Deir’s wife, to rule the Crown did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that alcohol played a role in the crash.

Charges of impaired driving causing death against Deir were conditionally withdrawn in April when he pleaded guilty to the other two charges.

Tensions ran high as Deir left the courtroom, where he was greeted by both members of his own family and confronted by family and friends of Keating and Pretty.

Deir’s next court appearance is scheduled for December. Victim impact statements will continue, with 49 people expected to make statements.