Suspect In Johnny Gaudreau's Death Reacts To Sentence On First Court Appearance

Sean Higgins, the 43-year-old man accused of killing NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew, made his first appearance in a New Jersey courtroom on Friday, August 30, as shared by WSYX ABC 6 on the channel's YouTube account.

The virtual hearing, held just a day after the accident happened on August 29, showed a visibly dejected Higgins as he learned that he would be spending quite some time behind bars.

Higgins has been charged with two counts of death by auto following allegations that he drunkenly drove his Jeep Grand Cherokee into the Gaudreau brothers while they were biking on a small roadway in Oldmans Township on Thursday night.

The collision, which occurred as Higgins attempted to pass another car, resulted in the deaths of both Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29.

Appearing before the judge in an anti-suicide smock, Higgins displayed little emotion at first, but his demeanor changed significantly as reality set in.

When informed that he would remain incarcerated until at least next Thursday due to the upcoming holiday weekend, Higgins leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and let out a deep breath while trying to process the gravity of his circumstances.

"The statutes and court rules require me to hold you over for a minimum 72 hours before your hearing," the judge explained. "Because we have a weekend and a Monday holiday, 72 hours becomes Thursday."

During the hearing, Higgins also indicated his intention to hire a private attorney to represent him in the case. He was given instructions on how to proceed with this process from his cell before being excused from the proceedings.

According to New Jersey State Police, Higgins admitted to drinking "5-6 beers" before getting into the accident. The tragic accident occurred as the Gaudreau family was in town to celebrate their sister's wedding, which was scheduled for Friday but was ultimately canceled following the heartbreaking loss.

Related: Johnny Gaudreau's Family Launches GoFundMe Campaign After Tragic Loss