Mitch Hutchinson was sentenced to seven years in prison today in connection to a large drug bust north of Biggar where an RCMP officer was shot.
Hutchinson, 49, pleaded guilty to possession of a loaded, prohibited firearm and possession of a firearm loaded with ammunition. He also pleaded guilty to four counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl, GHB, LSD and meth.
Judge Marilyn Gray accepted a joint submission by the Crown and defence of five years for the drug charges and two years for the weapons charges. He was given 95 days credit for time he has served since being arrested.
The court heard that Hutchinson didn’t intentionally shoot the RCMP officer during the raid on May 14 and instead believed he was shooting at a coyote on the rural property. The officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
During the raid of the rural home, police seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, GHB, Xanax pills and LSD. They also seized numerous weapons including a semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun, a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun, a spent anti-tank weapons, a revolver and body armour. They also found $16,080 in Canadian currency, money counters, packaging for drugs, eight cell phones, computers and tablets.
