Shooter in fatal Lunenburg County hunting incident gets probation

Christopher Adam Stevens was certain he was aiming for a deer eating under an apple tree, until after he pulled the trigger.

One round from Stevens’ rifle dropped Barry Slaunwhite, stated Crown attorney Emma Baasch, rehashing the tragic events that unfolded on Big Tancook Island on the afternoon of Oct. 28, 2016, which claimed the life of a husband, father of two and grandfather.

Only a few minutes was required to lay out the details of the incident at Bridgewater provincial court on Monday. Stevens immediately realized he had shot Slaunwhite. He dropped his rifle, ran to the victim and called 911.

The Big Tancook resident appeared despondent throughout his sentencing hearing for careless use of a firearm. Stevens told police that when he fired the fatal shot from a distance of 30 metres, Slaunwhite was dressed entirely in camouflage and wasn’t wearing an orange hunting vest.

Judge Paul Scovil adopted the joint recommendation from the Crown and defence, handing Stevens a suspended sentence with a 24-month probation period. Among several other conditions attached to his sentence, Stevens is prohibited from owning firearms for five years and must pay a restitution cost of $3,359.15 to the victim’s wife.

Stevens, 32, was scheduled for trial in January but pleaded guilty. The maximum sentence in this case was six months in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.

The hearing was emotionally charged, drawing more than a dozen friends and family members. Eight victim impact statements were presented to the court, including from the victim’s wife, daughter, niece and best friend. Each of them centred on the enormous presence Slaunwhite served in each of their lives.

Sam Slaunwhite, the victim’s wife, reacted to the decision with anger, saying that her family felt let down by the justice system.

“The Crown failed all of us,” Slaunwhite said. “I’m not surprised at the outcome. Typical, but they didn’t present a strong prosecution and we all felt that way. Even my daughter grabbed my hand while we were in the courtroom and said, ‘I thought they were on our side.’”

She and her husband owned a cottage on Big Tancook. Her husband had travelled from their Fairview home the day before he was killed to go deer hunting not far from the property. The victim and Stevens were known to each other, but were not friends.