A Kamloops-area man who opened fire on a fleeing vehicle during a family altercation last year has avoided jail.
Richard Alan Murphy, 60, pleaded guilty Monday in Kamloops provincial court to charges of possessing a firearm without licence or registration and careless use of a firearm.
Court heard Murphy was involved in a dispute with his 22-year-old stepson on Sept. 6, 2022, at a rural property in the Barriere area.
Crown prosecutor Anthony Varesi said Ajani Winters, the stepson, threatened to kill Murphy and then punched him in the face.
“The accused was briefly knocked out and Mr. Winters then got in his vehicle, which was a Chevrolet Cruz, intending to leave the scene,” he said.
“The accused came to as Mr. Winters was backing his vehicle down the driveway. He grabbed a hunting rifle and, as the vehicle was driving away, the accused fired the rifle at the vehicle, hitting the rear bumper area.”
Varesi said an off-duty Mountie lived in the area and heard the gunshots. He located Winters nearby and Murphy was arrested.
Murphy pleaded guilty on what was supposed to have been the first day of his trial.
Kamloops provincial court Judge Ray Phillips went along with a joint submission for a sentence of 27 days time served plus a conditional sentence order for two years less a day.
Murphy will have to abide by an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for the first year and have no contact with Winters, who has since moved to Alberta. Murphy will also be prohibited from possessing alcohol or weapons.
In addition, Murphy was ordered to surrender a sample of his DNA to a national criminal database.
