Three generations of an extended family packed an Abbotsford courtroom Monday morning at the sentencing of the driver responsible for a crash that took the lives of expectant mother Laurel Wilson, her unborn child and her father Ralph Jewell.

Shaun James Cochrane, 25, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving without due care and attention for a crash on March 13, 2010 at the intersection of Ware Street and South Fraser Way at 1 p.m.

He was sentenced to a $2,000 fine and banned from driving for life.

Court heard Cochrane ran a red light while travelling south along Ware in a Ford F-150 pickup and struck a Honda Prelude already in the intersection at South Fraser Way.

The out-of-control Honda then collided with three pedestrians waiting on a raised median to cross South Fraser Way: Wilson, who was seven months pregnant, her husband Kevin and her father Albert Ralph Jewell.

Wilson and her unborn baby Chloe couldn't be saved, and her father Ralph Jewell, 66, died in hospital as a result of his injuries six months later on Sept. 15.

The family had been out for a walk to celebrate Wilson's 27th birthday, and were headed to lunch when the crash took place.

Family member after family member choked back tears to read victim impact statements that described the grief suffered with the death of Wilson - a beloved wife and the "baby sister" of eight siblings - and their father and family patriarch.

Dressed in yellow, her daughter's favourite colour, Melody Jewell talked about the "profound shock" that the loss of her youngest daughter and husband, her best friend of 47 years, has had on her life.

"There are large holes in my life that will never go away and be filled."

In addition to the sorrow, Jewell said she had been forced to sell her home in the United States and may have to declare bankruptcy due to financial crisis prompted by her husband's death.

Other family members got up to remember Wilson's smile, selflessness, joy and love for sunflowers.

They also spoke to their father's strength, humour, musical talents, love of corny jokes and unshakable commitment to his faith. Eldest sister Christina McColl talked of being unable to give her sister the hand-crocheted baby blanket she finished in time for Wilson's birthday. She also described the stress of seeing her father, a strong energetic man, waste away in hospital.

"How do you describe losing a sister, a baby, and a dad in such a senseless act?" asked McColl.

Eldest son Douglas Jewell described the pain he felt on his loss, but also on witnessing the suffering of his mother.

"My heart breaks for her," he said.

"I've had to forgive this man [Cochrane] for what he's done to my family, but I will never forget."

Wilson's husband, Kevin described in his statement the loss of his "soul mate" and the effect of reliving the crash at night.

"The quiet and cold loneliness I feel each day can't be put into words."

Court heard that Cochrane had not been under the influence of alcohol and was not speeding, but had been diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD) following the crash.

Officers arriving on scene found the young man in the seat of his vehicle rocking back and forth crying, repeating "I'm sorry," over and over.

Crown counsel Ross McLeod told court an expert found that Cochrane's mental disability affected his judgment, maturity, and functioning.

He had a previous driving record that involved two instances of speeding, a driving prohibition and another instance of driving without care. It was found that Cochrane, who had been adopted as a child from a teenage mother, would have difficulty multi-tasking and making good judgments, said McLeod.

"The circumstances here are that Shaun Cochrane would never have been able to drive safely and won't be able to drive safely in the future."

Crown and defence counsel made a joint submission to the judge for the fine and driving ban saying that, given his condition, Cochrane would be unable to learn from his mistake in jail and would be vulnerable to manipulation.

Defence lawyer Eric Gottardi said his client was well aware of his responsibility for the crash and would carry the guilt with him for life.

"He is struggling to make the best of life with an undiagnosed mental disability . . . that in this case lead to tragic circumstances."

Cochrane took the opportunity to address the victims' family in court.

"I want to apologize," he said. "If I could, I would go back a year and a half and change everything."

Judge Kenneth Skilnick thanked the family of the victims for coming to court, and reliving the tragedy so that others could be reminded that victims weren't simply just names on paper.

The charge against Cochrane and the resulting sentence were not meant to address the lives lost, but rather the charge of driving without due care and attention, he noted.

Skilnick wondered why, given Cochrane's driving record, his disability was not discovered sooner.

"All I can do is take steps to prevent [Cochrane] from getting behind a wheel again," he said. " . . A life sentence wouldn't mean any less grief for the family and lessen the loss they suffer today."