Man nailed with loaded gun gets prison sentence

A man caught with a loaded revolver outside the Denny’s restaurant in Penticton has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison.

Cody Wilson, 27, was sentenced Friday in B.C. Supreme Court in Penticton, following his conviction by a jury in February of possession of a prohibited firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and improper storage of a firearm.

The jury watched a video of Wilson’s arrest Oct. 7, 2016, outside the restaurant that showed two RCMP officers fighting with him and pulling a snub-nosed revolver out of his pants pocket.

At trial, the jury did not accept the defence’s argument that Wilson’s girlfriend called 911 from the restaurant’s bathroom to frame him or that the grainy arrest video didn’t actually show a gun being seized from Wilson.

Defence counsel Michael Patterson had suggested a sentence of two years’ house arrest, while Crown counsel Andrew Vandersluys countered with a recommendation of 3 1/2 years.

At the first part of his sentencing hearing in May, Wilson maintained he had the gun for self-defence.

“Everything happened so fast back then. I take full responsibility. I am not a hardened criminal, nor do I want to be a hardened criminal,” he said.

Wilson is due back in provincial court in Penticton on Wednesday to answer to new charges.

While on bail awaiting sentencing, he is alleged to have been in possession of stolen property under $5,000 and breached his release conditions in Summerland on May 17.