A man who fired a gun after getting into an argument with his brother in Krestova should serve 5½ to seven years in prison, a Crown prosecutor told a sentencing hearing today in Nelson Supreme Court.
Laurence Darren McKay was convicted of six charges including assault with a weapon and possession of a loaded prohibited weapon.
Court today heard that McKay was on drugs when he fired a single shot from a sawed-off shotgun on Aug. 5, 2016, but no one was hurt.
He had recently been evicted from his home in Castlegar and was asking his parents if he could live with them, something his brother opposed.
Crown prosecutor Sunday Patola said aggravating factors include a previous criminal record and that he was “barely” off probation when the offence occurred.
McKay, who worked for several years as a care aid in Nelson and at a Salmo-area sawmill, has remained in custody since his arrest. His lawyer, Don White, suggested a sentence of 4½ to five years in prison, with credit for two years time served.
White said McKay had a history of using heroin, crystal meth, and fentanyl, which twice cost him his job, but he has taken steps in jail to deal with his opioid addiction.
When asked if he had anything to say, McKay stood and in a quiet voice said that he “made a huge mistake” but had no malicious or criminal intent.
Justice Mark McEwan will pass sentence in Rossland on Dec. 18.