The man accused in the June 2022 Vancouver driving death of an Irish tech worker has pleaded guilty, moving the case to sentencing proceedings in October.
Eoghan Byrne and a friend were crossing West 4th Avenue at Arbutus Street around 11:30 p.m. on June 19, 2022, when he was struck and killed.
The driver failed to stop or offer assistance, police alleged.
Alexandre Romero-Arata, 27, was charged with criminal negligence causing death, failure to stop at the scene of an accident and public mischief.
He pleaded guilty to the criminal negligence causing death charge in November.
Romero-Arata appeared via video before Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Reginald Harris Aug. 15 to set sentencing dates.
Harris expressed frustration that the case has taken so long.
“With or without counsel, I expect that this case will go ahead on the fourth of October,” Harris said.
He said a judge has to balance Romero-Arata’s rights against the community’s interests while ensuring the issue is resolved for the victim’s family.
Romero-Arata had also faced a charge of driving while prohibited stemming from an Aug. 29, 2022 Vancouver incident. He faced the same charge in connection with a Dec. 31, 2022 incident where a guilty finding was entered in court files.
Const. Tania Visintin said at the time that the Vancouver Police Department spent months gathering evidence in Byrne’s death.
