Crown and defence counsels differed significantly Monday on how much time a man should serve for opening fire on the Vanderhoof RCMP detachment nearly two years ago.
Paul Nicholas Russell faces sentencing for reckless discharge of a firearm and five other offences from the Nov. 25, 2021, incident.
Wielding a rifle, Russell was found to have pulled the trigger on a .30-calibre rifle at least 19 times, not only striking RCMP vehicles parked outside the detachment but also the building itself with three of the bullets blasting through windows and one of them narrowly missing the detachment's commander.
It left those inside the building fearing for their lives and sparked a community-wide lockdown and convergence of RCMP from as far away as Prince George.
Crown prosecutor David Jardine argued for 10 to 12 years less credit of about three years for time served prior to sentencing.
Conversely, defence lawyer Donna Turko contended time served plus two years probation is appropriate.
Jardine emphasized the gravity of the offences and contended that Russell's actions warranted a "higher level of denunciation and deterrence."
"It is not overstating it, in the Crown's submission, to say that this was an attack upon the police as an institution and should be punished accordingly," Jardine said.
Those who were inside the building "rightly feared for their lives," Jardine said.
In a victim impact statement, one of the detachment's constables said the event has left him emotionally numb, hyper-vigilant and with post-traumatic stress disorder, the court was told.
One of the bullets passed through the computer screen at the office manager's desk, Jardine noted. Fortunately, he was away at lunch at the time or likely would have been hit.
Turko countered that Russell's mental health issues at the time must be taken into account and noted the range for gun crimes in which no one is injured is three to six years.
"The event occurred as a result of Mr. Russell suffering from serious mental disruption," Turko said.
She noted her client's strange behaviour in the time leading up to the day in question, from leaving a set of antlers at the detachment to telling his grandmother he was going to work security at the Olympic Games and working for the British spy agency.
While he "clearly knew he was firing at a police station," Turko also noted Russell had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was taking an antipsychotic but was also consuming large amounts of alcohol in the days before in an apparent attempt to self-medicate.
Since he's been in custody, Russell has gone through a course of improvement and treatment and "he has come back to himself," Turko said and maintained he did not plead guilty to the offences because he did not remember what happened.
Following a trial, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Francesca Marzari found Russell not guilty of the most significant count of attempted murder.
The hearing will continue Tuesday at the Prince George courthouse.
