Article content continued

Brayford, who recently took on the case, said more evidence still needs to be handed over to the defence, but Sidhu wanted to avoid further delays.

“He wanted the families to know that he’s devastated by the grief that he’s caused them,” Brayford said. “And he’s overwhelmed by the expressions of sympathy and kindness that some of the families and players have expressed to him in spite of the fact their grief is entirely his fault.”

Crown lawyer Thomas Healey said he might need up to five days for sentencing, which is to begin Jan. 28, and would not be commenting until after that.

The maximum penalty for dangerous driving causing death is 14 years. It’s 10 years for dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Scott Thomas, whose son Evan was among those who died in the collision, said he now has a sense of closure.

“He was guilty. He acknowledged that. That was all I needed to hear,” Thomas told the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “The rest of the sentence doesn’t matter to me … It’s not going to bring Evan back. I’ve got to spend the rest of my life with it. He’s got to spend the rest of his life with it.”

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

The Broncos were on their way to a playoff game in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League when their bus and Sidhu’s rig collided at an intersection not far from Tisdale, Sask.

The bus was travelling north on Highway 35 and the semi was westbound on Highway 335, which has a stop sign.

A safety review of the rural crossroads done by a consulting firm for the Saskatchewan government was released last month. It said sight lines are a safety concern at the spot.