A Pembroke dentist convicted of impaired driving causing the death of an Ottawa man has had her appeal denied.

Christy Natsis was convicted in 2015. The trial judge found she had been drinking in a Kanata bar, before getting into car and driving home to Pembroke. The judge found her car crossed the centre line on Highway 17, slamming head first into a car driven by Bryan Casey, killing him.

Natsis was sentenced to five years in jail, a sentence she appealed.

The appeal focused on the reliability of police witnesses, in particular Const. Shawn Kelly.  Natsis argued that Kelly was biased against her, and all of his testimony should have been excluded.

On Monday the Court of Appeal ruled that the crown should have disclosed more information about Kelly’s report to the defence, and that Natsis’s Charter rights were violated, but it was not enough to set aside her conviction and order a new trial.

Casey was the father of three children. His widow Lee Ellen Carrol is expected to speak publicly, along with representatives of MADD Canada.