The accused was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and five firearms-related offences after police discovered a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition in a minivan he was driving.
The trial judge found the accused not guilty of possession of stolen property but guilty of all firearms offences.
The key issues were whether the minivan was stolen (turning on the credibility of the registered owner whose testimony contained numerous inconsistencies) and whether the sawed-off shotgun constituted a "firearm" under the Criminal Code despite having a detached forearm and being in poor condition.
