A former Mountie who was caught with more than 100 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his home has been granted full parole.
Jeffrey Rae Gillis was sentenced in May to three years in prison for multiple offences, including breach of trust by a public officer, possession of prohibited firearms with ammunition and possession of restricted firearms with ammunition.
Before his conviction, Gillis retired from the RCMP where his duties included acting as a firearms officer with the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team.
In a recent decision the Parole Board of Canada said it was satisfied Gillis’s incarceration acted as a deterrent towards future offending.
Charlottetown police seized what the Crown described as an arsenal from Gillis’s home in February 2016 on a public safety warrant after investigating an unrelated matter.
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The board’s report said Gillis was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
During a parole hearing, Gillis told the board that for about four or five years before his offences he noticed things were going “sideways” but wasn’t aware of it at the time.
He has been participating in counselling since his arrest.
As part of his duties with the RCMP, Gillis was responsible for disposing of weapons.
Instead of making sure they were destroyed, he eventually started keeping some.
The board asked Gillis if he was concerned about getting caught and he replied he was.
Gillis told the board he thought at the time he wasn’t doing anything illicit with the guns and was justifying his behaviour in his mind.
The board said Gillis showed a motivation for change, has taken responsibility for his actions, showed insight into his offending and remained engaged in his correctional plan.
“That is indicative of the positive change and gains you have made since the start of your sentence which began after your arrest,” the board said.
Before going on full parole, Gillis will be on day parole, during which he plans to help a family member with the upkeep of her property and get into organic farming.
Gillis plans to live there full time once his full parole starts.
While on parole Gillis must follow certain conditions, including following a treatment plan related to his mental health.
