Man involved in casino shooting gets 5½ years
A man who admitted to handing over a sawed-off rifle used in a fatal shooting outside a downtown Edmonton casino will serve 40 months in prison.
Vaughn Emmanuel Bull, 27, was given a 5½-year sentence Friday after pleading guilty to manslaughter for his role in the Feb. 21, 2016, shooting death of Darren Sinner.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Peter Michalyshyn accepted a joint submission on sentencing, granting Bull credit for time served in pre-trial custody.
According to an agreed statement of facts, in the minutes before his death, Sinner left his apartment and walked to the now-closed Baccarat Casino. Video footage captured a group of three people, including Bull, his co-accused Patrick Campiou and an unknown woman, approaching. The four people had an “interaction” and then Sinner followed them down the street.
As Sinner walked toward the trio, Campiou asked for the sawed-off .22-calibre rifle he’d given to Bull earlier. Bull handed it over and then Campiou shot Sinner in the abdomen, court heard.
Sinner was taken to hospital, where he died. A key chain with a photo of his child was found on his body, Crown prosecutor Chantelle Washenfelder said.
Although Sinner’s family did not attend the sentencing, Washenfelder told court his relatives loved him and were devastated by his death. She said Sinner’s halfbrother, who attended earlier court proceedings, felt guilt about encouraging Sinner to move to Edmonton so they could be closer to one another and their sister.
“That opportunity was stripped from this family because of this senseless act,” she said.
Though court heard the Crown had planned to argue for a sevenyear sentence, after reviewing a Gladue report, which provides context about an Indigenous offender’s background, Washenfelder agreed to make a joint submission on sentencing with defence lawyer Paul Moreau.
According to that report, Bull suffered years of sexual and other types of abuse that began when he was a young child. He told the writer he is an alcoholic and addict, and that his first experience with alcohol was at the age of six when it was forced on him by an adult abuser. Four years ago, he was involved in a collision where a drunk driver rolled a vehicle. The crash killed Bull’s mother and Bull sustained head injuries that left him with enduring symptoms.
Bull told the report writer that on the night Sinner was killed, he was intoxicated and “got friendly with the wrong person.”
“My mom always told me not to harm anyone and I remember her saying that to me before she died. And I have listened to her and I would not do that and make her sad like that. I am so sorry for the pain the family has gone through,” Bull told the report writer.
Campiou’s charges remain before the courts.
My mom always told me not to harm anyone ... I am so sorry for the pain the family has gone through.