A Calgary man has been convicted of second-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Olds College student Nicholas Baier.
Jeffrey Leinen's Court of Queen's Bench jury trial in Calgary ended late Wednesday night with a guilty verdict. The sentence carries an automatic life sentence without eligibility of parole for 10 years.
Leinen, 26, was also convicted of aggravated assault against a second Olds College student, Dan Skocdopole.
Immediately after the verdict came down Justice Marsha Erb handed Leinen the life sentence.
Following a three-week trial, the seven-man, five-woman jury found that Leinen intentionally drove his pickup truck into a group of people outside the Texas Mickey bar in Olds on Oct. 29, 2010.
Baier was run over and killed, while Skocdopole was run over and injured. Leinen did not testify at the trial. About two dozen people testified for the Crown, and one for the defence.
During the trial the jury heard Leinen was angry and threatening people outside the bar after bouncers forcibly removed him after he got into a fight in the bar.
During his closing arguments to the jury, Crown prosecutor Roy Smith said Leinen was angry and combative after being kicked out of the bar.
"The accused was very angry about what happened to him and he wanted to get back at the group," said Smith. "As he accelerated into this group he intended to cause someone's death. His actions showed his intention."
