Sentencing for man who waited 12 hours to call ambulance for unconsious wife

Ryan Wayne Poplar, 34, was sentenced to 3 years in prison Friday in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench.

Poplar pleaded guilty in April to criminal negligence causing the death of Dina Shepherd, his common-law wife.

Shepherd overdosed on prescription drugs in October 2013. Poplar waited some 12 hours to call an ambulance after finding her unconscious on the floor of the couple’s home. 

Poplar was also given a six-month concurrent sentence for two counts of uttering threats. Those charges stemmed from a pair of occasions where Poplar discussed details of Shepherd’s death then threatened to kill people if they told.