Saying that Davey Butorac poses 鈥渁 real danger to the safety of the community,鈥� a B.C. Supreme Court judge sentenced the 91原创 man to life in prison with no chance of parole for 23 years on Thursday afternoon in New Westminster.

In making the ruling, the judge did not accept the prosecution argument that Butorac was as bad as notorious serial killer Willie Pickton.

Earlier Thursday, Crown prosecutor Chris McPherson argued the only real difference between the 32-year-old 91原创 resident and Canada鈥檚 most prolific serial killer is that Butorac was convicted of killing two vulnerable women, whereas Pickton was convicted of murdering six, with the Crown choosing not to proceed against the Port Coquitlam pig farmer on numerous other murder charges.

Butorac should get the same sentence, McPherson said, the maximum possible of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Butorac鈥檚 defence lawyer Richard Fowler pressed for a slightly shorter period of 20 to 22 years before his client would be eligible for supervised release from prison.

Butorac was convicted last year of second degree murder for inflicting a brutal bludgeoning before strangling to death 46-year-old Gwendolyn Jo Lawton in March of 2007 in Abbotsford.

He was also convicted at the same trial of second degree murder in the July 2007 beating death of 50-year-old Sheryl Lynn Koroll in 91原创.

As the judge read the decision, Butorac kept turning to look over his shoulder at his parents, who were sitting behind him in the courtroom.

The judge said that while Butorac did not exhibit the same degree of depravity as Pickton did, he was very close to being the very worst kind of offender who committed the worst kind of offence.

Butorac is still facing a trial on a third murder charge. He is accused of the murder of Margaret Redford, 47, of Aldergrove. Her body was found in Bertrand Creek in Aldergrove on May 20, 2006. At the time, Butorac was living with his father in a townhouse complex a short distance away.

The families of both Lawton and Koroll filed impact statements with the court at the Thursday sentencing hearing in New Westminster.

Lawton鈥檚 mother, Irene Reitz, was the only one to read hers aloud in court.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e taken away the love of my life,鈥� she told Butorac, her back turned to the convicted killer as she addressed Justice Elizabeth Arnold-Bailey.

She still says good night to her daughter every evening, Reitz added, saying the murder of Gwendolyn 鈥渢ore a hole in my heart and life鈥�

In his written statement, Lawton鈥檚 son Kyle said he has become almost completely numb since the death of his mother, only feeling flashes of anger.

Koroll鈥檚 parents, John and Sophie Okrainetz, recounted how their troubled daughter still helped her father look after her paraplegic mother by shopping and doing errands.

Sophie Okrainetz described her daughter鈥檚 manner of death as something 鈥渆ven an animal doesn鈥檛 deserve.鈥�

Okrainetz said the last words she ever heard from her daughter were 鈥淚 love you, mom鈥� as Koroll left the house the evening she was murdered.

Like the Pickton victims, both women were vulnerable sex trade workers forced onto the street by drug problems, the prosecutor said. They were physically small women, barely over 100 lbs. each.

There was nothing in Butorac鈥檚 background, no abuse or drug issues that might explain the degree of rage and violence he displayed in killing the two women, McPherson added.

鈥淟ike Pickton, this man is a killer of multiple women,鈥� McPherson said.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 know why. But this much is clear, in the Crown鈥檚 submission. He is extremely dangerous.鈥�

Defence lawyer Fowler said it was 鈥減erhaps misguided鈥� to rank Butorac with Pickton.

Fowler said handing out a maximum sentence on two counts of second degree murder would amount to 鈥渨atering down鈥� the use of the highest penalty to denounce more serious crimes such as the Pickton case.

Letters of support were filed on Butorac鈥檚 behalf by his family, including his parents and siblings.

They all described Butorac as someone who was kind to animals, a good listener and a caring person.

Mother Joyce Butorac wrote that her son was a 鈥渓oving child鈥� who was well-liked and thoughtful.