A 44-year-old man who pleaded guilty in Prince George Provincial Court to careless use of a firearm was sentenced April 9 to a conditional discharge and 18 months on probation.
Judge Michael Brecknell accepted the joint Crown and defence sentencing proposal for Andrew William Soles, who admitted to holding an unloaded rifle in a residential area and forfeited an arsenal of weapons seized by the Prince George RCMP.
Court heard that police were called just after 5 a.m. on March 2, 2024 for a report of a man holding a rifle outside a house on Second Avenue. Police arrested Soles standing near a residence on Douglas Street. The rifle turned out to be unloaded.
While in the police vehicle, Soles said he had used cocaine and court heard he showed signs of impairment.
Police conducted a safety search of his residence and noticed multiple gunshots to interior walls. Police returned with a search warrant and seized Ruger American, SKS and Kodiak rifles, a Browning shotgun, ammunition and a Taser baton.
In a statement to police, Soles, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, said he believed multiple people were trying to break into his home in the middle of the night, so he barricaded himself inside the living room.
Court heard that his unstable medication regimen, misuse of alcohol and drugs and a relationship breakdown led to the incident. Defence lawyer James Emmons said Soles, a professional welder, has since sworn off drinking and drugs and is expecting another child with his fiancee.
“He now describes his situation as sober and clear,” Brecknell said, noting that mental illness reduces an offender’s moral blameworthiness.
Soles’s record will not show a conviction if he satisfies the judge’s conditions, which include no possession of weapons, alcohol or drugs (except for medical prescriptions). Soles must attend counselling or treatment as directed by a probation officer.
“He has, in my view, generally a pro-social life, despite the challenges from his childhood and ongoing mental health issues,” Brecknell said.
