OTTAWA -- An Ottawa man convicted in the deaths of a beloved Renfrew couple has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Joan, 66, and Doug Foster, 69, were killed in the head-on crash on March Road near Carp on Dec. 4, 2016.

John Anstie, then 24, was on his way to Kanata from Almonte when his car collided head-on with the Fosters'. He was convicted of impaired driving and criminal negligence causing death in July 2019.

On Thursday, a judge sentenced him to five years in prison. Anstie did not visibly react when the sentence was delivered at the virtual hearing.

In a statement, Joan’s younger sister Sharon McBride said the family hopes the sentencing will be another step on the road to closure.

“Joan and Doug were extraordinary people who brightened the lives of everyone they knew. Their tragic deaths have brought immense pain and loss to our family and so many in the local community,” she said. “No one should lose their life or that of a loved one in such a terrible and tragic way.

“Our hope is that today’s sentencing will be a step on the road to closure, and will send an important message about the dangers of drug-impaired driving.”

Anstie's lawyer had been seeking a two-year sentence, saying he was sexually abused when he was a teenager and began self-medicating, resulting in a drug addiction.

The judge referenced his addiction and trauma in the decision, but said the sentence must reflect the severity of Anstie's crime.

The Crown had sought an eight-year sentence.