CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A P.E.I. man who shot marbles out of a paintball gun inside a Charlottetown hotel where he was staying was sentenced recently to 90 days in jail.
Michael Robert Bryenton appeared before Chief Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Charlottetown where he pleaded guilty to several charges including damaging property, carrying a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace and breaching a release order.
Crown attorney Nathan Beck told the court Bryenton was staying at the Queens Arms Inn on May 9 when he exited his room and shot a paintball pistol loaded with marbles in the hall three times.
Beck said Bryenton shot the pistol again in the hall once on a different day.
Bryenton was subject to a weapons prohibition at the time and the court heard there were people in the immediate area who could have been hurt.
Both incidents were caught on security video.
Beck said the marbles left four “fairly sizeable” holes in walls that had to be repaired.
Defence lawyer Thane MacEachern told the court Bryenton called the incidents with the paintballs more of a “crime of stupidity” and they left three small indents the size of a marble.
Before hearing his sentence, Bryenton addressed the court to apologize for his actions and for taking up the court’s time.
In sentencing Bryenton, Orr accepted a joint recommendation from the Crown and defence.
Along with the jail time, Bryenton will be on probation for 18 months during which time he is banned from the Queens Arms Inn, he must write an apology letter and he must pay $575 in restitution for the damage he caused.
Bryenton will also be subject to a 10-year weapons prohibition.
