A Prince George man was sentenced Wednesday to a further six years and one month in prison for nearly killing an adversary with shotgun blasts during a confrontation at a marijuana growop more than three years ago.
In passing sentence against Bradley Douglas Barr, 36, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ron Tindale described Barr's actions on
Sept. 20, 2012 as an "extremely violent crime" in which he gave "no consideration for the consequences" on the victim.
Barr shot Craig Frederick Lyver, 43, three times with a short-barrel shotgun, leaving the victim lying in the middle of the 2800-block Northwood Road property's driveway writhing in pain and calling for help.
After Barr had left, a passing motorist saw Lyver, pulled into the driveway and called 911. If not for the motorist, Lyver likely would have bled to death, the court heard during a nine-day trial at the Prince George courthouse in late April.
As it stands, Lyver continues to suffer pain and remains hampered by the wounds he suffered to a hip, leg and arm. He needs a brace on a foot to walk, no longer has complete function in one arm and hand and is seeing a psychiatrist to help him deal with intense nightmares, Lyver said in a victim impact statement.
Barr, who has had a long-running struggle with drug addiction, was tending a marijuana grow operation on the property owned by Lyver. But the two became at odds with Lyver claiming Barr was not working hard enough.
Matters began to come to a head the day before when Barr sent a message to Lyver saying he wanted to pick up his belongings from the Northwood Road property as well as from Lyver's 2200-block Bernard Road home.
But on the day in question, Lyver was actually expecting another, more well-known figure in the Prince George organized crime scene, Jason Alexander Hall, to show up at the Northwood Road property.
Lyver, who was high on methamphetamine, had suspected Hall had taken some of his belongings when he paid a visit to the Bernard Road house the night before. In an exchange of emails, they challenged each other to a fight and the next morning, Lyver drove Hall's motorcycle to the Northwood Road property, packing a 12-gauge shotgun along with him.
Hall, a former Renegades biker gang president, was gunned down last March in a late-morning drive-by shooting at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Gillett Street.
He was taken to hospital where the 45-year-old was pronounced dead. No arrests have been made on the case.
After checking around the property, Lyver went to sit on a stack of tires in front of a garage and have a smoke.
Lyver's shotgun was leaning against the tire stack when, to his surprise, Barr showed up.
Also unexpectedly from Lyver's perspective, Barr got out of his pickup truck and started shooting him. The first shot hit Lyver in his right arm and as he tried to evade Barr, he was shot twice more.
Going into the trial, Barr was facing a charge of attempted murder. But Tindale found him guilty of the lesser charge of discharging a firearm with an attempt to wound or disfigure.
Much of Tindale's decision hinged on an exchange of words, as expressed in trial testimony, between the two after Barr shot Lyver.
As Lyver was lying on the ground, Barr walked up to him and said "why shouldn't I kill you right now?"
"But bros, I love you," Lyver replied and rather than shooting him to death, Barr grabbed Lyver's gun and left the scene, leaving Tindale with reasonable doubt that he intended to kill Lyver.
On Wednesday, Tindale said Barr has offered no explanation for his actions but "on the evidence it appears he simply became angry" at Lyver.
Barr was described as someone who grew up in a loving and supportive home - he earned a Chief Scout Award as a youth, it was noted - but went astray when he first began experimenting with drugs and alcohol as a teenager.
Tindale found there is some hope for rehabilitation of Barr but added the consequences of the crime he committed were "horrific."
Some Barr family members sat in the gallery as Tindale delivered the sentence.
In all, Barr was sentenced to seven years but received 11 months credit for time served.
