Attempted murder, Aggravated assault, Using a firearm in the commission of an offence
R. v. Bowcock
- Below the Crown's ask
Sentence and the Crown's position
What the law allows
Travis Wayne Bowcock was convicted by a jury of attempted murder, aggravated assault and using a firearm while committing an aggravated assault after he fired a handgun into a Surrey home while disguised as a police officer, striking two people. The Crown sought life imprisonment for the attempted murder with parole delayed until 10 years served, plus four years consecutive on the firearm count. Justice Armstrong imposed a global sentence of 15 years, less 1,335 days of pre-sentence credit, finding that the aggravating factors did not reach the level that warrants a life sentence.
In the judge's words
1[171] In my view, although there are significant aggravating factors in Mr. Bowcock's attempted murder conviction, those factors do not rise to the same level in the cases I have referred to and were provided by Crown that warrant a life sentence.
The record
- Convicted of
- Attempted murder (CC 239)
- Aggravated assault (CC 268)
- Using a firearm in the commission of an offence (CC 85(1))
- Prior convictions
- Not recorded
- At the time of the offence
- Not stated1
- Mandatory minimum
- Applied1
- Appeal
- Not yet checked
- Counsel
- Crown: S.M. Bertrand
Defence: R. Larmer
Sources
- R. v. Bowcock, 2024 BCSC 1300 Court decision, CanLII, March 20, 2024
[3] The Crown seeks to have Mr. Bowcock's sentence on each count as follows: … a) to imprisonment for life for the attempted murder of … a) delayed parole eligibility: an order precluding Mr. Bowcock from applying for parole until he has served 10 years of his sentence in accordance with s. 743.6 of the Code;
However, the incarceration for this offence requires a minimum incarceration for one year and any incarceration must be consecutive to any other sentence.
[1] THE COURT: On March 16, 2023, Mr. Bowcock was convicted by a jury of the offences of attempted murder of
[171] In my view, although there are significant aggravating factors in Mr. Bowcock's attempted murder conviction, those factors do not rise to the same level in the cases I have referred to and were provided by Crown that warrant a life sentence.
[216] I am satisfied that the global sentence to be served by Mr. Bowcock should be 15 years. I would thus reduce the length of sentence of the use of the firearm charge in the aggravated assault to one year from two years. … [237] THE COURT: One thousand, three hundred and thirty‑five days, so that will be the credited amount of time.
- R. v. Bowcock, 2024 BCSC 1300 Court decision, Courts of British Columbia