The man who killed a New Westminster grandmother in a random attack in June 2015 has been sentenced to six years in prison.
Julien Levasseur was handed his sentence last week in New Westminster provincial court. The 24-year-old pled guilty to manslaughter last fall for killing Charan Dhandwar on June 3, 2015.
Dhandwar, 79, was on her way home from a friend’s house near Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary school around 6:30 p.m. when Levasseur confronted her. At the time of the attack, Levasseur was in what both Crown counsel and his defence attorney called a drug-induced psychosis caused by ingesting a mixture of LSD and MDMA. Dhandwar never fought back, and she died quickly, according to the medical examiner’s report.
At an earlier hearing, the Crown recommended Levasseur be sentenced to eight to 10 years in prison while the defence argued five to seven years would be more appropriate.
On Jan. 30, a provincial court judge sentenced Levasseur to six years in prison minus time served, which amounts to about three and a half years remaining on his sentence. He is also prohibited from owning any firearms for 10 years.
In a statement, Dhandwar’s family thanked the community for its support.
“The senseless actions of one individual that led to the horrific event has left our family with unsurmountable grief. She was taken so suddenly and we dearly miss our mother, wife, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. She is missed by her community and friends.
“We acknowledge that this tragedy has not only directly affected our family, but affected so many other people,” read the statement.
