By: TONY BLAIS<\/p>\n
The following story gives a whole new meaning to the colloquial phrase “riding shotgun.”<\/p>\n
An Edmonton man was handed an eight-month jail term Wednesday after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including a gun offence for accidentally shooting a buddy in the derriere with a shotgun while they were driving around the city.<\/p>\n
Crown prosecutor Shivani Naidu-Barrett told court that Sean Robert Martin, 33, and his girlfriend had been in the rear seats of a GMC Yukon while his pal, Adam Matychuk, was driving with his girlfriend in the front passenger seat on Sept. 10, 2015.<\/p>\n
Naidu-Barrett said the Yukon was in the area of 109 Avenue and 95 Street when a single shot was discharged from a shotgun in the rear seat and “struck Mr. Matychuk in the buttocks.”<\/p>\n
Court heard Matychuk and his girlfriend exited the vehicle while Martin and his girlfriend fled on foot from the scene.<\/p>\n
At the time, police said Matychuk was taken to hospital suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.<\/p>\n
Court heard police identified all of the occupants in the Yukon, however none of them were co-operative.<\/p>\n
“Police believe (Martin) discharged that firearm and he acknowledges that,” said Naidu-Barrett.<\/p>\n
Martin pleaded guilty to careless use of a firearm and possession of a firearm within a vehicle in connection to the shooting.<\/p>\n
He also pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen vehicle and driving with a blood-alcohol level of over .08 relating to a July 13, 2009, incident where police saw him swerving all over the road, driving at erratic speeds and going through various traffic signals.<\/p>\n
Court heard police pulled him over after he drove onto a sidewalk and he had a hard time getting out of the stolen vehicle. Breath samples revealed he was more than double the legal limit.<\/p>\n
Martin also pleaded guilty to possessing body armour, breaching a recognizance and possessing a controlled substance in connection with a 2015 incident involving surveillance on another person that led to him being arrested. Police found he was wearing a bulletproof vest and in possession of four grams of heroin.<\/p>\n
Defence lawyer Walter Raponi told court that Martin is a journeyman iron worker who suffers from substance abuse issues.<\/p>\n
Provincial court Judge Michelle Doyle accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence for an eight-month jail term, which was deemed already served by time spent in pre-trial custody. Martin was also fined $2,500, banned from driving for a year and prohibited from possessing weapons for 10 years.<\/p>\n
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Source:\u00a0Canoe.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"