Sarnia man gets 5 years in ‘frightening’ case involving sawed-off shotguns

A prosecutor said the case involving a pair of sawed-off shotguns seized from a Sarnia man after he was arrested at gunpoint earlier this summer is extremely aggravating.

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“The facts are frightening, to say the least,” assistant Crown attorney Sarah Carmody said.

Before he sent James Courtis, 36, back to prison for five more years, Justice Rick Libman told him there’s nothing of greater concern than the presence of guns.

“When firearms are loaded, capable of being discharged, they render everyone in danger – not only the intended victim, but innocent bystanders, the men and women of law enforcement,” he said.

Sarnia Police Chief Derek Davis said at the time the presence of these weapons illustrates the unknown dangers officers often face.

“This incident could easily have had a tragic outcome. Our responding officers did an exceptional job in quickly and safely arresting this individual,” he said.

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The court heard the officers were sent to a Trudeau Drive home shortly before 1 pm July 28 after a person called 911 while hiding in a locked bathroom, saying a man with a black duffel bag and potentially a knife was in his home trying to kidnap him . Police found Courtis in the backyard, arrested him at gunpoint and found the bag stashed in a nearby neighbor’s property.

Inside, officers found the two altered shotguns loaded with shells in their barrels and several more shells in the bag. Courtis, who was seen on a video walking out of the Trudeau Drive home with one of the shotguns tucked in his waistband, had a lifetime firearms ban in place.

Carmody said gun crime is a significant concern in the Sarnia area.

“The fact that an individual is walking around the community with two loaded sawed-off firearms would concern any member of the public,” she said.

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Courtis also has a long criminal record, she added.

He was sent to prison for five years in 2013 after he was caught smuggling drugs into the Sarnia Jail in Easter eggs meant to hold candy.

But Carmody also gave Courtis credit for his extremely early guilty pleas, which took place just over a month after the incident.

Courtis, who was initially facing 15 charges, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition and single counts of possession contrary to a court order and unauthorized possession in a vehicle. The rest of the charges were dropped as part of the plea deal.

Carmody and defense lawyer James Guggisberg both suggested the five-year sentence Libman agreed to impose. Courtis, who never tried for bail, got 50 days shaved off for pre-plea custody.

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