Gerald Stanley pleads guilty to unsafe firearm storage

Two months after being acquitted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Colten Boushie, Gerald Stanley is pleading guilty to unsafely storing his guns.

The 56-year-old farmer appeared in a North Battleford courtroom Monday afternoon, where he pleaded guilty to one count of unsafe storage of non-restricted firearms.

The charges stem from an RCMP search of his property after Boushie’s death on Aug. 9, 2016.

Six guns – four rifles and two shotguns – were found without trigger locks and other safety precautions.

A provincial court judge accepted a joint submission by the Crown and defence, ordering Stanley to pay a $3,000 fine and $900 surcharge. He also imposed a 10-year firearm ownership restriction.

Stanley will surrender all eight of the guns he owns for destruction.

“Mr. Stanley doesn’t desire to own a gun ever again,” defence lawyer Scott Spencer said.

Both Spencer and Crown prosecutor Chris Browne acknowledged the penalties were on the “higher end” for a first-time offender, but defence said Stanley was taking responsibility for his storage issues.

‘No closure’ for Boushie brother

When Stanley arrived at court, he was met with profanity and jeers from relatives and friends of Colten Boushie.

“Why was a quad more important than my brother’s life?” One woman asked as the farmer entered the courthouse.

Strong language thrown at Gerald Stanley as he walks into court to face charges of unsafe storage of a firearm. (Caution: profanity) #ColtenBoushie pic.twitter.com/0joeER0dGw

— Chris Vandenbreekel (@Vandecision) April 16, 2018

Boushie’s brothers Jace and William sat in the front row during court proceedings, just feet away from Stanley.

“It hurt to see him again, walking freely,” Jace said after the hearing.

“If that was an Indigenous person … they would be on remand, they wouldn’t be walking freely.”

He also said he didn’t think the fine was enough, and the family believes Stanley should be in jail.

“There’s no closure, there never will be,” he said.

When Stanley left the courthouse, deputy sheriffs stood along his vehicle’s path out of the parking lot.

#ColtenBoushie brother Jace Baptiste says there’s “no closure” because Stanley “gets away” with just a fine. #sask pic.twitter.com/U0Fy36BLq8

— Chris Vandenbreekel (@Vandecision) April 16, 2018