Family devastated after drunk driver who killed 4 members in Quebec granted prison leave

saint david john fletcher says he would enjoy to escort his padre, sister, niece and nephew again. But he can’t.

They were all killed by a drunk driver in Beauport, Que., on Sept. 2, 2021.

Fletcher, who lives in Nova Scotia, said he and his mother are still grieving the loss, but were shocked to learn that the driver, Éric Légaré, has been granted unescorted temporary absences from prison once a month for 72 hours, plus 14 hours of travel time, to allow him to maintain his own family relationships.

“I’d love to have 10 minutes with my family,” Fletcher said, saying his mother has been lying in bed, distressed by the news. “It’s only been four years.”

According to Parole Board of Canada documents dated March 20, Légaré, now 48, has made meaningful progress and reduced his risk factors, particularly regarding substance use and emotional regulation. He has had no disciplinary infractions and has not tested positive for substances. A controlled return to the community was deemed appropriate.

There are some conditions, including the continued driving ban, his sobriety and some geographic restrictions. He’s also not allowed to contact the victims' family. The board refused his request for unescorted absences for "personal development" involving a developing emotional relationship.

Légaré was sentenced to 16 years for the deaths of Emma Lemieux, 10, her half-brother Jackson Fortin, 14, their mother, Shellie Fletcher-Lemieux, 44, and grandfather, James Fletcher, 68.

Légaré was under the influence of alcohol and cannabis at the time of the crash. He was driving nearly double the 70 km/h limit when he slammed into three vehicles at an intersection.

N.S. Man outraged drunk driver who killed family granted passes from prison

Blood samples revealed Légaré had a blood-alcohol level of 209 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood at the time of the crash. The limit is 80 milligrams, meaning he was nearly three times that when tested.

He also had 6.9 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood. More than two nanograms is criminal. More than five is a more serious offence.

Since April 2022, he has been serving his sentence for dangerous operation causing death (four counts), failure to stop after an accident, dangerous operation causing bodily harm (two counts), impaired operation causing death (four counts) and impaired operation causing bodily harm (two counts).

During the trial, the Crown sought an 18- to 20-year prison term, but prosecutor Pierre-Alexandre Bernard said he was "not disappointed at all" with the 16-year sentence — the longest ever meted out in Quebec for a crime committed under similar circumstances.

Another Quebecer, Roger Walsh, did get a life sentence for the hit-and-run death of Anee Khudaverdian while driving while intoxicated in 2008, however Walsh had had 19 previous drunk-driving convictions and a long list of other criminal offences.

By comparison, Légaré had a single prior conviction for driving under the influence, in 2017.

According to the parole board ruling, the board considered several letters from members of the victims’ families received between August 2025 and February 2026, in which they describe the pain they continue to live with as a result of Légaré’s actions and their opposition to the proposed release plan, which they view as unjust and premature.

The parole board decision says Légaré’s perspective on seeking help is now very different from what it was at the time of the offences.

"Given the harm caused by your alcohol consumption, you state that you have completely lost interest in it," the document states.

It goes on to say Légaré has a low risk of reoffending and that maintaining his "close" relationship with his family members "is an important motivational factor" in his desire to act appropriately in the future.

Since his father, sister, niece and nephew were killed, Fletcher said it’s the first thing he thinks about in the morning and the last thing he thinks about at night.

“My father was my best friend. We laughed, joked, carried on. My sister was like my little mother, always picking up for me, always making sure I was all set up,” he said.

“And the two kids, Emma was so lively and entertaining … And Jackson would have been living here by now because he wanted to plant roots in Cape Breton after he turned 18.”  

Fletcher said he was assured during the trial that justice would be served, but now, just four years later, he questions the parole board’s decision. 

“He took everything away from us,” said Fletcher. He said the parole board hearings were traumatizing for his mother, who already attended similar hearings after losing her brother to murder in the 90s.

Fletcher said Canada needs to stiffen penalties for driving while intoxicated.

“It’s just not right,” he said. “They say he didn’t set out that day to kill four people, but at the end of the day, he killed four people. And 16 years is a far cry from four and a half.”

Journalist

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