A Massachusetts man who caused the crash that claimed the life of a Pelham motorcyclist in 2007 was sentenced to spend at least three years behind bars.

Jason T. Connolly, 35, of Haverhill, Mass., was sentenced to serve three to six years in New Hampshire State Prison after pleading guilty to a single charge of negligent homicide.

Authorities claim that on Sept. 18, 2007, Connolly was driving a Ford Taurus with defective brakes at an unreasonable speed while under the influence of alcohol, cocaine and marijuana when he crossed a double yellow line on Route 38 in Pelham and struck a Harley-Davidson motorcycle ridden by Pelham resident John Sweren.

Sweren collided with another vehicle, and later died at a Boston hospital.

The crash occurred minutes after Connolly allegedly helped another man, Joseph Murabito, of Lawrence, Mass., steal an exotic bird from a pet store in Salem. The young macaw, a bright-colored parrot, was valued at $1,900.

Connolly was sentenced on the negligent homicide charge in Hillsborough County Superior Court in Nashua on Thursday, Jan. 8.

In addition to his prison sentence, Connolly will lose his driver’s license for at least seven years, must perform 500 hours of community service upon release, and complete any counseling, treatment and education programs recommended by the state’s Department of Corrections.

The court wants Connolly to undergo drug and alcohol treatment and counseling.

Connolly will also serve a disciplinary period of 150 days for each year of the minimum sentence. He will receive credit for 280 days already served in jail.

Connolly, an unemployed welder, was unable to post $10,000 bail after his arrest. Connolly had been indicted on two counts of manslaughter and two counts of negligent homicide last year. By agreeing to plead guilty to a single negligent homicide charge, he avoided going to trial and the other charges were dropped.

After the crash, Murabito fled into the woods off Route 38, according to police. The bird was eventually found alive in the woods by a search party organized by the pet store’s manager.