The 18-year-old appellant pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and firearms offences, receiving a sentence of five years and two months after credit for pre-trial custody.
On appeal, he sought to introduce fresh evidence regarding systemic racism and background factors facing black Canadians.
The Court of Appeal declined to admit the fresh evidence, finding that while such factors could be relevant in sentencing, the appellant's crimes were too serious for them to affect the result.
However, the Court allowed the appeal and reduced the sentence to four years and two months, finding the trial judge erred by focusing almost exclusively on denunciation and general deterrence for a youthful offender facing his first penitentiary sentence.
