FORT MYERS, Fla. — On Monday Judge Branning sentenced Courtney Gainey to 30 years in prison.
Many emotions filled the courtroom from both sides as two witnesses took to the stand and closing statements were made from family and friends.
Christine Gray, Allana’s mom stood up in the courtroom and said in a closing statement... “It’s been up to two years now I’ve tried at this moment and my daughter didn’t come home that night”
Allana’s dad, Michael Staiano was also at Monday's sentencing. “As you can see how I’m dressed I'm a prime example I know mistakes happen stuff happens people need to be punished for what happened.”
Courtney Gainey's family also spoke inside the courtroom, including her mom and grandmother.
Two witnesses also took the stand to talk about that night on January 11, 2020. Both say they were in a car behind at the time of the hit and run.
Those witnesses were Austin Britton and Amanda Branlett. Britton said he was acquainted with Courtney Gainey as they grew up together and she's the mother of his kids
Britton said the day of the accident they were gathered together having beers. A party with about 10-15 people. He says he saw Courtney grab a beer out of the cooler and asked her if she’s straight to drive because they had been drinking all day.
From leaving the party to stopping at Courtney's house briefly he and Branlett were driving behind Courtney's vehicle. Both said in court that they thought Courtney was driving fast.
A short time later Allana and her friend were hit walking home.
Britton remembers Allana's friend holding her arm and seeing Allana laying on the ground.
Britton and Branlett both identified pictures of Courtney’s vehicle from that night and front end damage.
Allana's family and friends asked Judge Branning to give Courtney Gainey the maximum sentence
Court lasted about 3 hours.
Judge Robert Branning said, “Ms Gainey it is the sentencing and judgment of this court that you are to be incarcerated by corrections for a period of 30 years this is the maximum sentence contemplated by the law four years of the sentence will be a minimum mandatory 258 days credit will be given.”
Christine tells Fox 4's Elyse Chengery she remembers Allana’s smile and was given a bear for her Birthday that has her daughters voice recorded, “My daughter left a recording on my phone so she put it on the bear for me. You got a lot of memories and momentous and stuff like that and a few years back because of the hurricanes and everything we lost everything so we don’t have the pictures so kind of meant a lot that I have some thing.”
Going forward Christine hopes other parents don’t have to experience this pain. “We are glad they are starting to take this serious and see it as a rising issue in our community and our kids deserve better so we’re glad this could be a step in the right direction,” Christine says.
Christine wants to join local groups to help try to stop the hit and runs that have been happening. She also wants to push for better lighting in neighborhoods but says what happened to her daughter could have been avoided and that Courtney should have stayed on scene when it happened instead of driving off.
