Gideon Zvi Bloch

The accused was charged with three offences arising from an altercation in a laneway: uttering a threat to cause bodily harm, assault, and carrying a weapon (knife) for a purpose dangerous to the public peace.

The Crown's case relied on eyewitness identification evidence from two civilian witnesses who had a face-to-face confrontation with the accused and another woman.

The court examined the reliability of eyewitness identification evidence, considering the quality of observation, lighting conditions, and the identification procedures employed.

The court found that despite some inconsistencies in the witnesses' accounts and the absence of formal identification procedures, the evidence established beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused was the individual who assaulted and threatened the complainant.

The court also amended the information to reflect that the accused possessed a beer bottle rather than a knife for a purpose dangerous to the public peace, based on the trial evidence.

The accused was charged with assault and careless storage of firearms.

The assault charge was dismissed when the alleged victim did not testify and evidence suggested the accused was the victim.

The court found the accused guilty of careless storage of firearms under section 86(1) of the Criminal Code.

The firearms were stored on an accessible rack in an unlocked shack with ammunition nearby and no trigger locks, constituting a marked departure from the applicable standard of care under the Storage, Display, Transportation and Handling of Firearms by Individuals Regulations.