Two men sentenced for January shooting in N.B.
Two men involved in a January shooting in which a North Battleford man was shot in the leg were sentenced to more time in custody at North Battleford provincial court Wednesday.
Both Timothy Leask and co-accused Dakota Whitstone pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon – a baseball bat – and to discharging a firearm with intent to wound. Leask appeared via video link from Saskatoon, while Whitstone was present in person in the courtroom.
The court heard Leask and his companion Whitstone came to the victim’s garage brandishing baseball bats Jan. 14 after Leask got into a dispute with the victim. After leaving, the Crown said Leask sent a text message threatening to shoot the complainant. Leask returned to the garage with a gun on Jan. 15, the Crown said, and Whitstone also showed up as backup. According to the Crown, the complainant said “don’t shoot me” before he was shot with buckshot, and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Defence lawyer Kevin Hill said Leask, 45, acknowledged “he is too old for this kind of drama.” He said Leask has been dealing with a drug addiction that “played a role” in the incident, which ultimately got out of control.