ejected the magazine, but didn鈥檛 realize there was one bullet still lodged in the chamber of the handgun when he passed it to a six-year-old boy as if it were a toy.
When the boy pulled the trigger, that single bullet hit Page in the leg, but it 鈥渃ould have ended up in that six-year-old boy鈥檚 body,鈥 Ontario Court Justice Joseph De Filippis said in a Hamilton courtroom on June 25.
鈥淲hat unbelievable irresponsibility for a man to give a gun to a six-year-old child,鈥 he said, adding that, even though Page thought the gun was empty, there is always a risk.
鈥淵ou give six-year-old boys a baseball bat or stuffed animals to play with; you don鈥檛 give a boy a gun,鈥 he said.
Yet despite the 鈥渟hocking鈥 details, the judge agreed to a joint submission by the Crown and defence to sentence a now-26-year-old Page to six months of time served.
Page pleaded guilty to a single count of public mischief for misleading police; he initially lied about his name and where the shooting happened. All other charges were withdrawn.
The challenge, assistant Crown attorney Ryan Dorsman told the court, was that the six-year-old boy鈥檚 mother withdrew her support for the prosecution, while his grandmother, who had been supportive, died before the case made it to trial. It would have been difficult to prove the case if the child couldn’t testify.
De Filippis chastised the mother鈥檚 decision, saying he cannot understand it, particularly because her son could have been killed.
The court was given no reason for the mother’s change in support. However, it’s not uncommon for police to have difficulty with co-operation in shooting cases, including out of fear of retribution or loyalty. The family of the six-year-old boy, who The Spectator is not naming, is no stranger to gun violence. The boy’s uncle was killed in a Hamilton shooting several years ago.
In this case, court heard that the boy had been with his mother at her work around 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2023, when a friend took the boy to his residence on Cope Street, near Barton Street East and Kenilworth Avenue North, Dorsman said. The man had a child around the same age as the boy; Page happened to be there.
The shooting, which Page admitted was caused by his own negligence, happened soon afterward, he said. By 10:55 a.m., video showed Page leaving the house limping, blood dripping on the road.
Fifteen minutes later, Page arrived at the St. Joseph鈥檚 urgent care on King Street East with a gunshot wound to his left leg. The bullet had gone clean through, with no bullet fragments left behind.
Police were called and Page initially said his name was Brian Blaney and claimed he鈥檇 been shot at a 鈥渃rack house鈥 by a drug dealer named 鈥淧oppy.鈥 But detectives soon learned his real name.
About a week after the shooting, the boy鈥檚 grandmother attended the police station to report that her grandson told her he had shot Page. The boy was interviewed by a detective with specialized training for interviews with children, during which the boy was 鈥渁rticulate and forthcoming.鈥
What the boy said was corroborated by video and, initially, by his mother, Dorsman said. But she is no longer supportive of the prosecution.
Page, who sat quietly in court, has an extensive record for gun violence and was on parole at the time he was shot.
Last November, a justice of the peace released Page on bail 鈥 despite the strong objections of the Crown 鈥 because of the support of his mom. She was again in court for her son Wednesday, along with Page鈥檚 partner.
Defence lawyer Alexandra Mamo told the court Page had a very difficult upbringing, including severe concerns for mental health that began to show around the age of nine. Despite having a loving mother, Page was unable to access help until his late teens when he was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. He only began taking medication around the time he was released on bail and had been doing well.
However, Page also faced serious gun charges in London, Ont., and was convicted in April. Since he鈥檚 been back in jail, he鈥檚 had trouble accessing medication, Mamo told the court.
The judge signed an order directing that Page be able to access a doctor and medication in jail.
Page was given six months of credit for four months he served in pretrial custody for his Hamilton conviction. The rest of his pre-sentence custody will be considered when he鈥檚 sentenced in London in the coming weeks.
De Filippis noted that the London conviction was 鈥渢he elephant in the room,鈥 because regardless of his Hamilton sentence, he鈥檚 going to prison. Court heard he鈥檚 expected to get anywhere from seven to 10 years.
Nicole O’Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com
