An admitted gangster whose fiancee was killed in an attempt on his life in Abbotsford in 2010 has been sentenced in Surrey Provincial Court to four and a half years behind bars.

Gater Browne pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and other charges and said he was prepared to leave gang life behind after falling in love with Mandy Johnson two years ago.

But after she was shot to death in a car on Poplar Avenue in Abbotsford on July 28, 2010, his life spiralled even further out of control.

He started using drugs daily and carrying a loaded gun, both of which were on him when he was arrested in Surrey after a high-speed police chase in on May 5, 2011.

Judge Kenneth Ball noted in his reasons for sentence how erratic Browne's behaviour was at the time.

"His reaction to the shooting incident, the death of his fiancŽe and the on-going warnings by police that his life was in danger caused him to be very unsettled and he began to use drugs, particularly methamphetamine, on a daily basis as a coping mechanism," Ball said in his recently-released sentencing reasons.

"Some of the offences for which he is now charged were committed during a period of heavy drug use."

He noted that the 32-year-old had a lengthy criminal history because "he was engaged as a member of a criminal gang for a period of seven years."

"In May of 2010 he fell in love with a woman who required that he leave the gang lifestyle as a condition leading to marriage, and he tried to do so. He was then a target of a shooting attempt on his life. He was shot, but survived. His fiancŽe, however, was killed in that shooting incident," Ball said.

Browne was out on bail for a series of charges when Surrey RCMP spotted him in a stolen car about 1:20 a.m. last May 5. Even the deployment of a spike belt didn't stop him.

"Notwithstanding two deflated tires, Mr. Browne drove around a fence, through a shallow ditch, across the lawn of the backyard of a home in the cul-de-sac in an effort to escape. When he attempted to drive the Audi around the home, the Audi collided with the corner of the home and the Audi became trapped between the home and a fence," Ball noted.

"Mr. Browne then tried to run from the scene but was physically arrested by police officers. A Louis Vuitton `man purse' was located on the ground beside the vehicle, which purse was apparently discarded by the accused. The purse contained a Ruger SR9 mm. pistol which was fully loaded, with a round in the chamber ready to be fired."

Ball said Browne's purse also contained a BlackBerry and cell phone.

"The photos stored on those devices showed Mr. Browne holding the Ruger pistol and the purse. On further investigation it was determined that the Ruger pistol was previously stolen from a residence in Delta," he said.

The Crown asked for a four to six year sentence and the defence wanted four years minus five months pre-trial custody credit.

Ball said the four year, six month term was appropriate, minus the five months, for a net term of four years and a month.

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