A Mackenzie man was sentenced to two years less a day in jail after pleading guilty to possessing meth, heroin, and fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded and restricted firearm without a licence.
The sentence was delivered to 42-year old Emil Laverne Spelman in Prince George Supreme Court, and the offences stem from a Sep. 11, 2020 incident.
RCMP had attended a residence in response to a call that an assault was in progress, with Spelman opening the door when police arrived. Upon searching Spelman, they found $3,030 in his pocket, which was seized.
0.56 grams of crack cocaine, 35.85 grams of crystal meth, 1.77 grams of heroin and fentanyl in a drawer, 9.77 grams of bagged cocaine, and 22.68 grams of heroin and fentanyl in another drawer were found. A loaded nine millimetre pistol was found under a pillow in the residence's bedroom, along with nine millimetre ammunition.
Spelman was also wanted at large in relation to July 8, 2021 shooting in Mackenzie, after RCMP were called to the community's hospital where a man was found suffering from a gunshot wound.
Spelman was suspected of pulling the trigger, and was arrested on Sept. 1, 2021.
It was noted that Spelman had a difficult childhood, and was raised by his mother, while his father was absent.
"From the ages of 10 to 14, he suffered significant physical, mental, and sexual abuse at the hands of his godfather, who also introduced him to crystal methamphetamine when he was only 12 years old," explained the Aug. 10, 2023 ruling.
Spelman also suffers from PTSD from his traumatic childhood, and takes medication for depression and anxiety, in addition to seeing a psychologist for monthly counselling since his arrest.
He was also on a methadone program and completed several drug rehabilitation courses offered at the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre, the ruling further explains.
A lifetime firearms ban was also imposed on Spelman, in addition to a DNA sample order. It was noted that Spelman expressed remorse for the crimes committed, which was included as a mitigating factor.
Spelman came before the court with an extensive criminal record, with 53 previous convictions dating back to 1994, including a prior trafficking conviction in 2014 and two weapons convictions in 2007 and 2019.
