The last act in the Gerald Stanley legal saga happened Monday afternoon in provincial court in North Battleford, as he pled guilty to one count of improper storage of firearms.
The guilty plea covered one count involving six non-restricted firearms found at the Stanley property on Aug. 9, 2016.
One other count, covering one restricted firearm, was withdrawn by the Crown at the conclusion of sentencing.
The Crown and the defence provided a joint submission on sentencing, calling for a $3,000 fine, a 10-year firearms prohibition and a mandatory weapons forfeiture order.
That joint submission was accepted by Judge Bruce Bauer in imposing sentence. A $900 victims surcharge was also imposed. The indication from his counsel was that Stanley would pay the fine that day.
In general, this latest and final court appearance for Stanley was low-key compared to his trial and acquittal of second-degree murder in connection to the shooting death of Colten Boushie on Aug. 9, 2016 on Stanley’s property.
Notably, the Tokarev pistol handled by Stanley on that date was not covered by the firearms charges before the court Monday.
As Stanley and his counsel Scott Spencer entered the courthouse from the back, members of Boushie’s family shouted “murderer” at him again as he walked in.
In court, it was noted during the submissions by Spencer and by Crown prosecutor Chris Browne that the proposed sentence was on the higher end of the range.
Spencer also noted the rifles involved were “typical rural rifles,” not assault rifles.
He told the judge that Stanley regrets ever owning a gun, and “has no desire to own a gun ever again.”
As Bauer began imposing sentence on Stanley, the Boushie family members who were inside the courtroom got up and walked out in disgust with the sentence.
Jace Boushie, Colten’s brother, told reporters outside there was no justice.
“We have no closure, I don’t think we’ll ever get that closure,” he said. “Apparently you can get away with murder and remain silent, have a lawyer.”
He added it was “very upsetting – it hurt to see him again, you know, to see him walk freely. If that was me or any other Indigenous person that was standing trial for murder or any kind of gun charges, we would be on remand. We wouldn’t be out walking freely in street clothes, smiling around, we’d be sitting in jail clothes incarcerated.”
Meanwhile, Mary Baycroft, who had attended most of the Stanley court proceedings, seemed relieved the proceedings against Stanley were now concluded.
“We’ve known him for quite some time,” said Baycroft of Stanley, explaining he had bought their quarter of land years earlier.
“Gerry Stanley has been a very decent man. What else can I say but pray that everything will turn out right. And it’s too bad of a thing that happened to Boushie’s family. I just regret all that, too.”
