Naturopath sentenced to 13 years in teen's death
posted by: Dan Viens Web Producer

Created: 3/27/2006 1:13 PM MST - Updated: 3/28/2006 8:58 AM MST

GOLDEN (AP) - A judge sentenced a naturopathic practitioner to 13 years in prison today for the 2003 death of a teenager he was treating.

Holistic medicine practitioner in Wheat Ridge faces more charges



Brian O'Connell pleaded guilty last month to criminally negligent homicide, illegally practicing medicine, assault, perjury and theft.

O'Connell today asked the judge for leniency and said he didn't know what he was doing was wrong.

But Jefferson County District Judge Margie Enquist said she didn't believe it.

She told O'Connell he has no remorse and no regret.

Enquist could have sentenced him to up to 15 years in prison.

O'Connell was charged in the 2003 death of 19-year-old Sean Flanagan, a cancer patient.

Authorities blame the teen's death on complications stemming from a procedure in which blood is removed from a patient's body, exposed to ultraviolet light, then returned.

O'Connell showed no emotion when Enquist announced the sentence but his wife wept.






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