EDMONTON -- The man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of a gas station owner in 2017 was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday.
Mitchell Robert Sydlowski was initially charged with second-degree murder but pled guilty to the lesser offence and leaving the scene of an accident on Aug. 14.
The judge sentenced him to six years for manslaughter and one consecutive year for failure to remain at the scene. He was given credit for his early guilty plea and for his 1,154 days in custody.
Sydlowski will serve approximately 3 year and 10 months.
Ki Yun Jo, 54, was killed outside his Fas Gas station in Thorsby in October 2017.
In an agreed statement of facts presented in August, court heard that Sydlowski sped off in a stolen cube van without paying for nearly $200 in gas. Jo went outside to confront him and grabbed on to the side mirror when Sydlowski drove away. The vehicle swerved and Jo was struck and killed.
Shortly after Jo's death, the Alberta government moved to bring in legislation requiring drivers to prepay before filling up at gas stations.
The Crown had recommended a sentence of six to eight years, while Sydlowski's defence lawyer suggested it should be at the lower end of the Crown's recommendation because of his client's guilty pleas.
With files from the Canadian Press.
