Man charged with killing NHL’s Johnny Gaudreau and brother turns down deal

The driving force charged with killing NHL hockey participant Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, as they cycled on a rural New Jersey street pleaded not responsible to the indictment on Tuesday after turning down a prosecution provide of 35 years in jail.

Sean M Higgins, 44, appeared briefly in courtroom in Salem county, New Jersey, and entered a proper plea to the current indictment within the 29 August deaths. The case will now transfer towards trial.

Police say Higgins had a historical past of street rage and was impaired on the day of the Gaudreaus’ deaths after consuming 5 or 6 beers. Higgins stated he had been driving round for 2 hours, typically speaking by telephone with a pal, after an upsetting dialog together with his mom.

Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, had been killed close to their childhood house on the eve of their sister’s wedding ceremony.

A girl who had been driving in entrance of Higgins informed police that he had been driving aggressively. She stated that when she and one other driver slowed down and moved left to go the cyclists, Higgins sped up and veered proper, hanging the Gaudreaus.

Higgins had a blood-alcohol stage of .087, which is above the state’s .08 authorized restrict, and failed a subject sobriety check, police stated.

He’s being held on prices that embody two counts every of aggravated manslaughter and vehicular murder, together with proof tampering and leaving the scene of an accident.

Protection lawyer Matthew Portella has known as Higgins a loving father and a very good one that “made a horrible choice that evening.”

Portella and county prosecutors confirmed the phrases of the proposed deal.

Johnny Gaudreau, often called “Johnny Hockey,” performed 10 full seasons within the NHL and was set to start out his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He performed his first eight seasons with the Calgary Flames.