Thomas Bryson

The accused pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import fentanyl and its derivatives, possession of MDEA for the purpose of trafficking, and breach of probation.

The court found that the accused, aged 20 at the time of the offences, had imported fentanyl and other drugs from a Chinese mail order website and distributed them locally, contributing directly to five fentanyl overdoses in October 2016.

Despite his difficult childhood marked by parental drug addiction and death, and his current rehabilitative efforts, the court imposed a sentence of 7 years and 6 months imprisonment, emphasizing the serious nature of fentanyl trafficking and the need for general deterrence and denunciation in the context of the opioid crisis.

Steven Byford pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of Darryl MacDougall, his mother's domestic partner, following a domestic argument where Byford stabbed MacDougall three times with a steak knife.

The court considered aggravating factors including the use of a weapon, multiple stab wounds, and the domestic context, alongside significant mitigating factors such as Byford's guilty plea, youth, lack of prior record, positive pre-sentence report, and low risk of reoffending.

The court imposed a custodial sentence of 16 months in jail, followed by two years of probation, a DNA order, and a weapons prohibition order, balancing denunciation and deterrence with the offender's rehabilitative potential and psychological vulnerabilities.

Samuel Robinson, found guilty of drug possession and possession for trafficking, challenged the constitutionality of the two-year mandatory minimum sentence under s. 5(3)(a)(ii)(A) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, arguing it infringed sections 12 and 7 of the Charter.

The court found that the mandatory minimum sentence was grossly disproportionate both on the facts of the case and in a reasonable hypothetical situation, thereby infringing section 12 of the Charter.

The question of justification under section 1 of the Charter was reserved for further consideration.