Sentencing hearing begins in shooting case

Defence lawyer raising constitutional challenge

It’s been nearly a year since Jesse Dallas Hills fired bullets into a westside home, and he’s still waiting to be sentenced. His sentencing hearing finally began Thursday in Lethbridge Court of Queen’s Bench, where Lethbridge lawyer Greg White is also raising a constitutional challenge to gun legislation. The legislation stipulates a minimum sentence of four years for some firearms offences, which White believes amounts to cruel and unusual punishment in certain circumstances.

The hearing, which is scheduled for two days, began with a voir dire — a trial within a trial — to determine the admissability of Thursday’s evidence, including that provided by a firearms expert who testified for defence. The evidence cannot be reported unless the judge rules to make it part of the open sentencing hearing. The voir dire is scheduled to continue today.

Hill pleaded guilty Nov. 28 to single charges of discharging a firearm into a home with reckless disregard, pointing a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm and mischief causing damage under $5,000.

Although he doesn’t remember the incident, Hills agreed with allegations presented by the Crown that about midnight May 6, 2014 he loaded a .303 rifle and, with a baseball bat, walked out into the neighbourhood of Mount Rundle Way and Mount Rundle Road West.

A man had just climbed into his car after attending a nearby house party when he saw Hills run toward his car and swing a bat at it. Hills also dropped to one knee and fired a rifle in the man’s direction.

Hills walked to another parked car, which was locked, and smashed the windows with the bat, and then walked up a driveway and fired one round into the home. The bullet smashed through the living room window and an interior wall into a computer room occupied by the homeowner.

The homeowner, who saw Hills standing in his driveway with the rifle, awakened his wife in their bedroom then hit the alarm on his security system. They ran to the basement and called 911. Police arrived shortly afterward and arrested Hills.

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