A 21-year-old North Vancouver man who gave a shotgun to a friend who used it to kill himself shortly after was sentenced to 27 months in jail by a B.C. Supreme Court judge Tuesday.
Justice Harry Slade handed the prison term to Paul Fraser, who was previously found guilty by a B.C. Supreme Court jury of the rare charge of aiding and abetting a suicide. He had traded the loaded shotgun for the keys to a BMW.
At the time Fraser handed over the gun, he knew his friend Robbie Milot, 19, intended to kill himself with it, said Slade.
Fraser instructed Milot to kneel down, put the shotgun under his chin and reach down to pull the trigger, an indication of the "callousness" with which the offence was carried out, said Slade.
What's your opinion? I often make a case for blaming the gun owner who passively assists in a suicide by leaving the weapon available. This is much more direct involvement. Do those who reject the passive involvement cases also reject this one as an example of shared responsibility?
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I blame the man that committed suicide. He failed to register his newly acquired shotgun under Canadian law. Had he registered it, common sense gun laws would have stopped his suicide.
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