Dylan Brown used his sentencing hearing on Monday in Barrie to address the judge, saying he’s sorry for what happened in the early morning hours of August 13, 2017.
The 25-year-old admitted that he pulled the trigger, shooting a 28-year-old man, outside of a bar on Mulcaster Street in downtown Barrie.
The victim suffered serious injuries and had to be airlifted to a Toronto hospital.
While addressing the court Brown claimed he "was acting out of self-defence. I’m pretty sure I was going to be very, very, seriously injured, and I took it into my own hands to defend myself. I know it was the wrong thing to do, and it’s something I will live with for the rest of my life.”
Brown recently pleaded guilty to lesser charges in a deal with the Crown. He had initially been charged with attempted murder.
“He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and possession of a weapon while prohibited,” explained Brown’s defence lawyer, Chris Morris.
Following the shooting in 2017, police described the shooting as ‘targeted’ after a fight broke out in the bar and spilled outside.
Police allege Brown fired the shot from a vehicle before fleeing the scene.
He was arrested in his hometown of London after a Canada-wide warrant was issued.
Sentencing will take place on Friday. The Crown is asking for two years less a day with credit for time served.
A second man was previously accused in this case and sat in the courtroom on Monday to listen to the proceedings. The charges against him were withdrawn in January after the judge decided there wasn’t sufficient evidence for his case to proceed.
