Calgary not the 'Wild West': Judge denounces gun violence in handing down manslaughter sentence

Meghan Grant · CBC News

· Posted: May 01, 2025 1:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: 23 minutes ago

A Calgary justice had a beardown connection for cause dealers who "engage successful shootouts" connected metropolis streets arsenic helium handed an eight-year condemnation to a antheral who fatally changeable his trader boss. 

Tarek Sharples, 47, killed Jamie O'Leary, 39, extracurricular the victim's location connected April 1, 2022. He pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter successful December. 

Both men were equipped astatine the time. O'Leary raised his pistol, pointing it astatine Sharples, who past changeable first. O'Leary died connected the sidewalk. 

'Close to self-defence'

On Thursday, Court of King's Bench Justice Robert Hall denounced nationalist shootings.

"They endanger each of us. They scare each of us," said Hall. 

"We are not surviving successful the Wild West, we indispensable not beryllium held hostage successful our ain communities."

• Drug trader changeable portion girl played successful backyard, justice hears during manslaughter plea

Prosecutor Zailin Lakhoo argued for a 10- to 12-year sentence, portion defence lawyer Andrea Urquhart projected a five-year sentence. 

Hall noted that based connected substance messages betwixt the 2 men, determination was "considerable provocation." He recovered that Sharples' actions were "close to self-defence."

'You wanna bash this?'

In 2022, some men were dealing drugs. Sharples worked for O'Leary but wanted retired from nether his boss, according to an agreed connection of facts presented astatine the blameworthy plea. 

By April 1, 2022, the 2 dealers were successful conflict.

Recovered substance messages betwixt the brace amusement the lead-up to the fatal incident.

Four minutes earlier the shooting, O'Leary told Sharples to "bring your play to my kid's location and spot what happens … bring maine my dope and immoderate of my cash."

Sharples replied: "You wanna bash this oregon you conscionable privation your shit?"

Both men armed

Two minutes later, Sharples pulled up successful a van extracurricular O'Leary's southeast home. O'Learly walked extracurricular with a pistol. 

As the 2 argued, O'Leary raised his weapon and pointed astatine Sharples. 

Sharples past changeable O'Leary.

Justice Hall noted some men behaved severely connected the time of the fatal shooting. 

"Mr. Sharples should ne'er person driven to Mr O'Leary's residence … helium should ne'er person attended with a loaded shotgun," said Hall. 

"Mr. O'Leary should not person confronted Mr. Sharples with a handgun… He should not person raised the weapon successful a shooting position."