A man serving a federal sentence for the shooting death of his son has been granted day parole.
In issuing their decision on March 17, a two-person Parole Board of Canada panel noted that Roger Wayne Evans did not think full parole would be in his best interest.
Evans, 66, was sentenced in May 2022 to two-and-a-half years in prison for the death of Dale Evans sometime over the night of July 31-August 1, 2018.
Based on evidence and testimony presented during a trial on the matter, the two were in the process of moving out of their home about 50 kilometres west of Quesnel but had also been drinking. For reasons not explained a rifle was lying on the kitchen table amid several empty and full beer cans.
With the intent of carrying out to a trailer for safe keeping, Roger Evans had picked up the rifle without checking to see if the safety was on or if it was loaded. It went off and his son, who had been walking in front of his father as they were leaving the home, was struck in the back with a .308-calibre bullet.
Evans has since acknowledged long-running trouble with alcohol and has remained sober for about three years, according to the decision.
However, a large portion of that time has been in an institution with "immediate access to supports and services," leading the panel to conclude Evans would be better off on day parole than on full parole.
Evans has been accepted into a halfway house with a residential substance abuse program and with leave privileges dependent on his behaviour.
