R. v. Pouce Coupe (A.J.), 2014 BCCA 255

• Judge: Saunders, Tysoe and Groberman, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Case Date: May 29, 2014
• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Citations: 2014 BCCA 255;(2014), 357 B.C.A.C. 250 (CA)

R. v. Pouce Coupe (A.J.) (2014), 357 B.C.A.C. 250 (CA);

    611 W.A.C. 250

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2014] B.C.A.C. TBEd. JL.005

Regina (respondent) v. Anthony James Pouce Coupe (appellant)

(CA041389; 2014 BCCA 255)

Indexed As: R. v. Pouce Coupe (A.J.)

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Saunders, Tysoe and Groberman, JJ.A.

June 30, 2014.

Summary:

The accused, an aboriginal person, was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to three years' imprisonment. A lifetime firearms prohibition was also imposed. The accused appealed the sentence.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal allowed the appeal in part. The court reduced the length of the prohibition in respect of firearms (other than prohibited and restricted firearms), cross-bows, restricted weapons, ammunition and explosive substances to ten years. The court did not disturb the prison sentence imposed by the sentencing judge. The court referred the accused's s. 113 application to the Provincial Court. (Section 113 of the Criminal Code enabled a person to apply for an exemption to a weapons prohibition order to allow the person to possess a prohibited weapon for sustenance or employment purposes).

Editor's note: certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by law, publication ban, Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise. The judgment contained the following notation: "A publication ban has been mandatorily imposed under s. 486.4 of the Criminal Code restricting the publication, broadcasting or transmission in any way of evidence that could identify the complainant or a witness. This publication ban applies indefinitely unless otherwise ordered".

Criminal Law - Topic 5799

Punishments (sentence) - Prohibition orders - Respecting firearms, etc. - See paragraphs 36 to 51.

Criminal Law - Topic 5846.1

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Aboriginal offenders - See paragraphs 25 to 29.

Criminal Law - Topic 5847

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Remorse of accused - See paragraphs 21 to 24.

Criminal Law - Topic 5932

Sentence - Sexual assault - See paragraphs 30 to 35.

Criminal Law - Topic 6218

Sentencing - Appeals - Variation of sentence - Evidence on appeal (incl. fresh evidence) - See paragraphs 47 to 50.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Gladue (J.T.), [1999] 1 S.C.R. 688; 238 N.R. 1; 121 B.C.A.C. 161; 198 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 9].

R. v. Mulligan-Brum (S.B.) (2013), 338 B.C.A.C. 59; 577 W.A.C. 59; 2013 BCCA 231, refd to. [para. 22].

R. v. Ipeelee (M.), [2012] 1 S.C.R. 433; 428 N.R. 1; 288 O.A.C. 224; 318 B.C.A.C. 1; 541 W.A.C. 1; 2012 SCC 13, refd to. [para. 25].

R. v. C.A.M., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 500; 194 N.R. 321; 73 B.C.A.C. 81; 120 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 30].

R. v. Lefebvre (G.A.) (1992), 21 B.C.A.C. 81; 37 W.A.C. 81 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. Khan (S.M.) (1994), 41 B.C.A.C. 70; 66 W.A.C. 70; 23 W.C.B.(2d) 292 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. B.S.B., [2008] B.C.T.C. Uned. E37; 2008 BCSC 1526, affd. (2010), 282 B.C.A.C. 136; 476 W.A.C. 136; 2010 BCCA 40, refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. R.R.M. (2009), 283 B.C.A.C. 33; 480 W.A.C. 33; 2009 BCCA 578, refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. R.L.W. (2013), 333 B.C.A.C. 218; 571 W.A.C. 218; 2013 BCCA 50, refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. J.L.M.A. (2010), 499 A.R. 1; 514 W.A.C. 1; 2010 ABCA 363, refd to. [para. 33].

R. v. Yamelst (K.A.), [2013] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1689; 2013 BCSC 1689, refd to. [para. 33].

R. v. M.R.G. (2005), 215 B.C.A.C. 288; 355 W.A.C. 288; 2005 BCCA 426, refd to. [para. 34].

R. v. Corson (R.G.) (2003), 186 B.C.A.C. 22; 306 W.A.C. 22; 2003 BCCA 430, refd to. [para. 34].

R. v. Herman, [1994] B.C.J. No. 2770 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 34].

R. v. Christensen, 2004 NUCA 4, refd to. [para. 46].

R. v. Allooloo (C.R.) (2010), 487 A.R. 322; 495 W.A.C. 322; 2010 NWTCA 7, refd to. [para. 46].

R. v. Lévesque (R.), [2000] 2 S.C.R. 487; 260 N.R. 165; 2000 SCC 47, refd to. [para. 47].

Counsel:

C.T. Darnay and M. Poulsen, for the appellant;

E.A. Campbell, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard in Vancouver, B.C., on May 29, 2014, before Saunders, Tysoe and Groberman, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. The following decision was delivered for the court by Tysoe, J.A., on June 30, 2014.