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Family and friends of Mark Squires squeezed into a small provincial court room in St. John’s on Thursday, hoping the man responsible for the death of their loved one would be sentenced to prison.
However, sentencing for Rodney Constantine was delayed until Aug. 4 — leaving the family waiting for closure.
“There’s no peace. I can’t let go because I’m in court all the time,” Squire’s mother, Sandra Squires, told CBC News.
According to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, on Dec. 10, 2023, Constantine was driving a car with two other passengers when he drove into a home on Empire Avenue in St. John’s.
Squires was one of the passengers and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
In March 2024 police charged Constantine with impaired driving causing death. According to Crown prosecutor Deidre Badcock, Constantine pleaded guilty in July 2025. At the time he was represented by a different lawyer but he has since gotten new legal representation.
On Thursday, defence lawyer Dan Furey asked Judge Rolf Pritchard for the sentencing to be delayed until August, arguing he only recently received the agreed statement of facts and did not have time to go over the details with Constantine.
The judge agreed to the delay, but Badcock requested Constantine be put in custody until sentencing.
While Squire’s family stifled their tears, Pritchard denied the request, saying Constantine had not breached any conditions of his release.
A man who pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death appeared in court Thursday morning for sentencing, but it was delayed until August. As the CBC’s Abby Cole reports, the family of the man who died say they won’t have closure until the court makes its final decision.
The family left court disappointed Constantine would be able to remain free.
“I’m really upset about it,” said Sandra Hennessey, Squire’s aunt. “They should have arrested them and put them behind bars.”
Hennessey said the family will suffer every day until Constantine receives his sentencing.
“We don’t have our nephew. It’s killing us all. You know, all of their birthdays were together. We can’t celebrate, Christmas is not the same,” she said.
“What gets me is he’s out there and he’s celebrating Christmas. He gets to go fly away and do everything but we’re just here sitting by broken hearted.”
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