Sentence Watch

Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking

R. v. Marchant

Crown asked15 months in custody1
Judge imposed15 months imprisonment, no probation1

What the law allows

MaximumLife imprisonment
Crown asked15 months in custody
Judge imposed15 months in custody
Defence asked18 months conditional sentence
For possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking (CDSA 5(2)), the Criminal Code currently allows up to life imprisonment, with no mandatory minimum. Life is drawn at 25 years for scale. Read the section.

Shane Timothy Marchant pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking from his Langley home in 2020, while he was serving a conditional sentence. The Crown sought 15 months in custody and the defence an 18-month conditional sentence followed by probation. Justice Bantourakis imposed 15 months imprisonment, finding a conditional sentence unsuitable because the earlier conditional sentence had not deterred him.

In the judge's words

Mr. Marchant was, of course, subject to a CSO and effectively under house arrest when he committed this offence and it did not deter him.

1

The record

Prior convictions
Not recorded
At the time of the offence
On probation1
Defence asked for
18 months conditional sentence1
Appeal
Not yet checked
Counsel
Crown: D. Cui
Defence: D. Schultz

More cases by The Honourable Justice Y. Liliane Bantourakis

  1. September 16, 2025
    R. v. Alexander, 2025 BCSC 1829Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking, Port Alberni
    • Below the Crown's ask
    Five years and six months, less 627 days credit for pre-trial custody
  2. April 24, 2025
    R. v. Huete, 2025 BCSC 764Carrying a concealed weapon; Possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm, Burnaby
    • Below the Crown's ask
    36 months in custody (12 months concurrent on the concealed-firearm count)

More possession of a schedule i or ii substance for the purpose of trafficking cases

  1. September 18, 2026
    R v Alves, 2026 BCSC 1792Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking; Production of a Schedule I or II substance; Possession of anything for use in producing or trafficking a controlled substance, Maple Ridge. Justice Terence A. Schultes
    3 years' imprisonment on counts 1 and 2 and 2 years on count 3, concurrent
  2. September 11, 2026
    R. v. Dansereau, 2026 BCSC 1781Possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm; Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking; Possession of a weapon contrary to a prohibition order, Rossland. Justice Jacqueline D. Hughes
    5 years in custody (3.5 years firearm, concurrent 24 months drug, plus 1.5 years consecutive for breach of weapons prohibition), less 978 days credit
  3. August 27, 2026
    R. v. Marshall, 2026 BCSC 1686Unauthorized possession of a firearm; Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking, Victoria. Justice Jacqueline D. Hughes
    • Below the Crown's ask
    Six years imprisonment (concurrent on all counts), less 537 days credit for pre-trial custody
  4. August 25, 2026
    R. v. Beals, 2026 NSPC 43Operation with blood alcohol over the legal limit; Breach of a release order; Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking, Dartmouth. Judge Timothy G. Daley
    2 years less a day conditional sentence (house arrest for 12 months, then curfew), then 2 years probation

All possession of a schedule i or ii substance for the purpose of trafficking cases (112)

More from the Supreme Court of British Columbia

  1. September 18, 2026
    R v Alves, 2026 BCSC 1792Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking; Production of a Schedule I or II substance; Possession of anything for use in producing or trafficking a controlled substance, Maple Ridge. Justice Terence A. Schultes
    3 years' imprisonment on counts 1 and 2 and 2 years on count 3, concurrent
  2. September 15, 2026
    R. v. C.S.M., 2026 BCSC 1770Manslaughter, Coquitlam. Justice David M. Layton
    2 years and 99 days in custody, less 99 days credit (2 years remaining)
  3. September 11, 2026
    R. v. Dansereau, 2026 BCSC 1781Possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm; Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking; Possession of a weapon contrary to a prohibition order, Rossland. Justice Jacqueline D. Hughes
    5 years in custody (3.5 years firearm, concurrent 24 months drug, plus 1.5 years consecutive for breach of weapons prohibition), less 978 days credit
  4. September 11, 2026
    R v Stuart, 2026 BCSC 1783Aggravated assault, Vancouver. Justice Elin Sigurdson
    • Below the Crown's ask
    • No jail for a violent offence
    Two years less one day conditional sentence (201 days credited), followed by probation

All cases from the Supreme Court of British Columbia (520)

More cases in Langley

  1. June 6, 2025
    R. v. Bos, 2025 BCSC 1126Manslaughter with a firearm; Weapons trafficking. Justice Carla L. Forth
    19 years' imprisonment (13 years and 6 years consecutive for two manslaughters, 6 years concurrent for the firearm offence), less 1,490 days' credit
  2. February 19, 2025
    R. v. Campagna, 2025 BCSC 349Trafficking in a Schedule I or II substance; Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking. Justice Baljinder Kaur Girn
    Six years (2190 days) custody, less 576 days credit; 1614 days left to serve
  3. September 13, 2024
    R. v. Isbister, 2024 BCSC 1836Possessing child sexual abuse material; Breach of recognizance (peace bond). Justice Murray B. Blok
    • Below the Crown's ask
    27 months in jail, less 369 days credit for pre-sentence custody
  4. July 16, 2024
    R. v. O.R., 2024 BCSC 1288Manslaughter; Indignity to human remains. Justice Martha M. Devlin
    • Below the Crown's ask
    16 years in custody (11 years manslaughter, 5 years consecutive indignity to remains) less 1,413 days' credit

All cases in Langley (12)

Sources

  1. R. v. Marchant, 2025 BCSC 383 Court decision, CanLII, February 7, 2025[17] The Crown submits that the appropriate sentence for Mr. Marchant is 15 months incarceration.[18] The defence submits that Mr. Marchant ought to serve his sentence under strict conditions in the community, and proposes that the Court impose an 18‑month conditional sentence followed by 12 or 18 months probation.[1] THE COURT: On September 24, 2024, Mr. Marchant pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing cocaine and methamphetamine for the purposes of trafficking, contrary to s. 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C. 1996, c. 19 ["CDSA"] which was Count 2 on a five‑count indictment.[2] … At the time, he was subject to an 18‑month conditional sentence order ("CSO") with house arrest conditions and an exception to leave for work at a welding company between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.[31] Mr. Marchant was, of course, subject to a CSO and effectively under house arrest when he committed this offence and it did not deter him.[36] … Accordingly, I sentence you to 15 months imprisonment.
  2. R. v. Marchant, 2025 BCSC 383 Court decision, Courts of British Columbia

publicly
Sentence Watch is part of Publicly: sites built from government and court records, with every fact linked to its source. Publicly is not affiliated with any government. Visits are counted with Google Analytics, which sets cookies.