A Wallaceburg man who spent time behind bars for shooting at a woman in Wallaceburg nearly four years ago has avoided more time in jail.
Michael Authier, 37, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of possession of fentanyl in Chatham court on Wednesday after being originally charged with trafficking in July of 2021 while he was out on bail and waiting to be sentenced on another serious charge.
The Ontario Court of Justice heard that Chatham-Kent police searched a detached garage on Lafontaine Street on July 27, 2021 in Wallaceburg and seized about six grams of fentanyl, scales, cash, cell phones, and a pellet gun. Authier was then arrested along with three other people inside the garage.
The judge agreed with the joint submission presented by the prosecution and the defence and sentenced Authier to time already served (67 days enhanced time) after he spent 45 real days in pre-sentence custody and was credited with 67 total days of enhanced time. The law permits the court to grant an enhanced custody credit of up to 1.5 times the time served as long as the circumstances justify it. He will be on probation for a year and is banned from possessing weapons for five years.
The judge admitted she was concerned about Authier's "significant" criminal record, which includes weapons and breach of release offences.
Authier had nothing to say to the court when given the chance.
Authier previously spent 18 months in jail for shooting at the window of a vehicle in February of 2019 and seriously injuring an 18-year-old woman sitting in the passenger’s seat at King Street and Albert Street. The woman recovered from her injuries.
He was initially charged with attempted murder, but was sentenced for aggravated assault in September 2021.