A Halifax man who mistakenly killed his son during a home invasion will learn his fate Friday.
Michael Dockrill, 56, was convicted last year in the fatal shooting of his son, Jason Dockrill, nearly five years ago.
Two masked men broke into the Dockrill home in June of 2011, in what’s been described as an attempted drug rip. During an altercation, Michael Dockrill shot his 20-year-old son instead of the intruder.
READ MORE: ‘Prison of grief’: Michael Dockrill to be sentenced next year for mistakenly killing son
Because a gun was used during the commission of the crime, Dockrill is facing a mandatory minimum jail sentence of four years in prison.
The Crown attorney on the case wants to send Dockrill to jail for five to seven years, saying he picked up a gun and intended to shoot someone that night, just not his son.
Dockrill’s lawyer argued in court against the mandatory minimum sentence, saying he is already serving a life sentence and feels guilty all the time for his son’s death. Instead of jail time, the defence is asking the judge to consider a suspended sentence, where Dockrill could speak to others about the dangers of guns.
A judge has been reviewing both arguments and will officially release his decision Friday morning.
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