Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking, Possession of a weapon contrary to a prohibition order, Possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized, Unauthorized possession of a firearm, Contravention of firearm storage regulations
R. v. Chaisson
- Below the Crown's ask
Sentence and the Crown's position
What the law allows
Gabriel George Chaisson was convicted after trial of possessing cocaine and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking and four firearm offences, including possessing a rifle while under a weapons prohibition, after a February 2020 search of his home near Antigonish. The Crown submitted a range of 5 to 8 years; the defence submitted 2 to 6 years. Justice Hoskins imposed 1,357 days, less 627 days' credit for pre-sentence custody, followed by 24 months of probation, with concurrent sentences on the firearm counts, and said that but for credit for harsh remand conditions and strict house arrest the sentence would have been 4.5 to 5 years.
In the judge's words
1I wish to emphasize that but for the mitigating factors applied in this case including the Summers credit, and the Duncan credit, the sentence of 1,357 days would have been in the range of 4.5 to 5 years.
The record
- Convicted of
- Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking (CDSA 5(2), 2 counts)
- Possession of a weapon contrary to a prohibition order (CC 117.01(1))
- Possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized (CC 92(1))
- Unauthorized possession of a firearm (CC 91(1))
- Contravention of firearm storage regulations (CC 86(2))
- Prior convictions
- Not recorded
- At the time of the offence
- Not stated1
- Defence asked for
- 2 years in custody1
- Appeal
- Not yet checked
- Counsel
- Crown: Mark Covan
Defence: Jonathan Hughes
Sources
- R. v. Chaisson, 2025 NSSC 101 Court decision, CanLII, February 21, 2025
[87] As stated, the Crown submits that the appropriate range of sentence for these offences and Mr. Chaisson is in the range of 5 to 8 years custody
whereas the defence submits it is in the range of 2 to 6 years.
[1] This is the sentencing decision in the matter of The King v. Gabriel George Chaisson, who this Court convicted on July 8, 2024, of the following six offences:
[159] I wish to emphasize that but for the mitigating factors applied in this case including the Summers credit, and the Duncan credit, the sentence of 1,357 days would have been in the range of 4.5 to 5 years.
[212] The global sentence is 1,357 days imprisonment for the possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, contrary to s. 5(2) of the CDSA, (Count 1) and a global sentence of 1,357 days for the possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, contrary to s. 5 (2) of the CDSA, (Count 2), which are concurrent with each other. [213] Mr. Chaisson is entitled to a Summers credit of 1.5:1. Therefore, 627 days will be reduced from the global sentence of 1,357 days. Thus, the actual sentence going forward is 730 days or 2 years. [214] There will also be a probation period in relation to these two drug offences, s. 5(2) of the CDSA, for 24 months
- R. v. Chaisson, 2025 NSSC 101 Court decision, Courts of Nova Scotia