A man from a Sarnia-area First Nation has avoided jail and is under house arrest after firing multiple shots into the air with an unlicensed gun in an attempt to break up a fight.
A man from a Sarnia-area First Nation has avoided jail and is under house arrest after firing multiple shots into the air with an unlicensed gun in an attempt to break up a fight.
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The judge agreed with both lawyers that house arrest for Norman George, a 60-year-old member of Kettle and Stony Point, was the right sentence for convictions of possessing a firearm without a license and carelessly using a firearm. But Justice Mark Poland also pointed out it was a situation that could have ended in serious tragedy.
“Any time weapons are involved in the manner that they were used in this case the court is very concerned,” he said during a recent sentencing hearing.
The court heard George’s partner, Summur George, and Skylar King got into a fight outside his West Ipperwash Road home on May 31, 2023. He tried yelling to break it up, but when that didn’t work he went inside, grabbed a gun from a closet, loaded it, went back outside and fired shots in the air. The gun was George’s late brother’s and he didn’t have a license for it.
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George never pointed the weapon at the women or uttered any threats and his sole purpose was to get their attention, the court heard. But the prosecutor said despite his intentions, he made a series of poor decisions.
“That is nothing but a criminal offense, to be firing a firearm in the air under that circumstance, and it is serious,” assistant Crown attorney Michael Donald said.
He also pointed out George had no business possessing the firearm in the first place and his home is close to a campground.
“This was a very dangerous situation,” he said.
George spent three weeks in jail after his arrest before getting bail. The Crown initially wanted more jail time following his guilty pleas, but after extensive negotiations with defense lawyer Joseph Stoesser they agreed to suggested house arrest.
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George’s Indigenous background, health struggles, and a long gap in his criminal record factored into that recommendation. Poland agreed it was the right sentence, but bailed George if he breaks any of the rules he’ll likely serve the rest of his sentence in jail.
They include house arrest and GPS tracking for the first nine months, then nine more months of a daily curfew. He can’t contact King and he also can’t have alcohol in his house or drink unless he gets a letter from his doctor saying abstaining would be detrimental to his health.
Summur George, who also is facing charges in this case, is in custody and returns to court next week while a bench warrant has been issued for King, who has several sets of outstanding charges in Sarnia, records show.
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