A Quebec judge has decided against declaring repeat drunk driver Roger Walsh a dangerous offender and has sentenced him to life in prison.

Prosecutors say the judge set a legal precedent at the Valleyfield courthouse on Wednesday morning. Crown lawyer Joey Dubois says it's the first time a Canadian court has handed a life sentence to a drunk driver.

Wheelchair-bound victim

Last December, Walsh, 57, pleaded guilty to drunk driving charges related to the death of Anee Khudaverdian.

It was his 19th drunk driving conviction.

Khudaverdian, who was wheelchair-bound, was out with her dog in Les Cedres on her 47th birthday when Walsh struck and killed her.

He continued driving after striking Khudaverdian, and crashed into a ditch about 10 kilometres away.

When police arrested him, his blood alcohol level was more than double the legal limit.

"Incorrigible"

Quebec court judge Michel Mercier declared Walsh incorrigible and said he would be likely to reoffend.

But Mercier did not hand prosecutors the legal prize they were looking for: dangerous offender status for Walsh.

The Crown had been seeking to make Walsh the first Canadian subjected to that designation for drunk driving.

But the judge said the label -- which has been reserved for the worst criminals, like murderers and serial rapists -- did not apply in this case.

Reaction

Family members, including the victim's sister, expressed mixed emotions about the verdict.

"The law is unclear, it needs to be clarified," said Clara Khudaverdian.

"Our legislators need to take this into account...we lost an opportunity, but we also made history."

In practical terms, however, the sentence could wind up being just as harsh.

Walsh would have had a chance, either way, to seek parole after seven years; the difference with dangerous offenders is that once they're freed they're monitored more strictly and, if they reoffend, they can then be locked up indefinitely.

Lengthy criminal record

Walsh has a total of 114 criminal convictions on his record. The other convictions resulted from a variety of charges, ranging from bail and parole violations to aggravated assault.

- With files from the Canadian Press -