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Robert John Sheppard has been sentenced to six years in prison after he was found guilty of eight charges last month.
The 33-year-old Lethbridge man was acquitted of attempted murder but found guilty of one count of assault with a weapon and seven other firearms charges.
The charges were laid in April 2018 when the accused shot at a home on the west side of the city — a “targeted incident,” according to police, as Sheppard had been in a relationship with one of the four people in the house at the time.
The judge, while delivering his sentence, noted that the gravity of this offence is on the high end, saying it was “nothing short of a miracle” no one was hit by the shots Sheppard fired.
The six-year sentence falls within the Crown’s suggestion of six to eight years.
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“We are satisfied. We recognize and appreciate that it was a very difficult decision for judge Maxwell,” said Tyler Raymond, the Crown prosecutor.
“He exercised, as he always does, sound judgment and considered all of the relevant legal factors and principles that were identified both by defence and the Crown.”
The defence, on the other hand, had asked for three and a half to five years. However, Sheppard’s lawyer, Andre Ouellette, said while he had hoped for a lesser sentence, he can’t say the judge made the wrong decision.
“He’s clearly considered all of the factors,” said Ouellette. “He’s considered Mr. Sheppard’s circumstances, the specific circumstances, so considering other cases, it’s really hard for me to say that he’s wrong. Of course, from my client’s perspective, with no record, that’s a very substantial sentence.”
The judge also dismissed a charter application from the defence claiming Sheppard had been subject to cruel and unusual punishment during his time in remand.
With credit for time already spent in custody, Sheppard still has four years remaining on his sentence.
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