DAUPHIN, Man - A Manitoba judge says the death of a 15-year-old girl after a birthday party is a warning to parents who allow minors to drink.

Tamara Aller was found frozen to death in a parking lot in Dauphin on Feb. 13, 2009.

She had been at a party at the home of Allan and Mary-Anne Kostur for their son's 18th birthday party and had been drinking.

The couple was charged in August 2009 under the Liquor Control Act for permitting drunkenness and providing liquor to a person under 18 years old.

Both pleaded guilty to permitting drunkenness; the charges for providing liquor were later dropped.

On Tuesday, provincial court Judge Christine Harapiak fined the couple $4,500 in total, adding it was important that the community be aware of the tragic circumstances surrounding the young girl's death.

"She summed it up very well when she said this was one of the worst cases, but at the same time, the Kosturs weren't the worst offenders and that's why I think that's why she decided to rule in the way she did," said Crown Prosecutor Allan Shemchuk.

"The penalty imposed are stiff fines. She didn't feel it was appropriate that anybody be sentenced to jail."

Shemchuk also said he hopes Tamara's death makes people think.

"It seems to be there's a lot of acceptance in the community for underage drinking and its unfortunate that it takes something like this for people to hopefully reflect on whether that should be allowed to continue," he said outside court.

Defence attorney Roy Dawson said the sentence was appropriate.

"I think anyone involved in this case wish they had the night over and could do things all differently but this was the result and I think it was a fair decision."

Aller's mother has filed a lawsuit against the Kosturs, alleging they knowingly supplied liquor to minors.

Karen Aller also claims the Kosturs failed to ensure Tamara got home safely on a night when temperatures dropped to -37 C.

The statement of claim alleges that Allan Kostur drove Tamara home, but dropped her off about two blocks from her house. The lawsuit also alleges the girl wasn't wearing a winter coat.

The question of host liability has come before the courts before. In 2006, a case involving an Ottawa woman who was paralyzed after being hit by a drunk driver went as far as the Supreme Court. She was trying to sue the people who hosted the party where the driver had been.

But the high court threw the case out. It said the host hadn't created the risk that led to the woman's death.