Sentencing decision for drug smuggler set for June
Poll
Independent
The Crown and defence in a drug smuggling case are miles apart when it comes to sentencing a Calgary man who was found guilty in March following a week-long trial in Lethbridge Court of Queen’s Bench.
Calgary lawyer Sean Fagan is seeking a seven-year prison term for his client, Bradley Michael Gaudrault, while Crown prosecutors Kent Brown and Domenic Puglia have recommended a sentence of 12-15 years.
Brown pointed out Thursday during a sentencing hearing in Calgary that the Alberta Court of Appeal has ruled that a sentence of 10-12 years is appropriate for importation cases where a guilty plea has been offered. Defence counsel, Brown suggested, is ignoring the appeal court’s ruling, and pointed out not only did Gaudrault choose to stand trial rather than plead guilty, there are no mitigating factors to warrant a sentence in the range defence has recommended.