Skip to content

Man smashes gun case to prove gun case unsafe

A Penticton judge said the city doesn't need any "misguided Robin Hoods" to the man who took the law into his own hands.
9250pentictoncourtsign
Penticton courthouse.

Penticton’s “misguided Robin Hood” who smashed the glass on the gun case at the Penticton Canadian Tire to prove it was unsafe was told not to take the law into his own hands.

Christian Joseph Gingras, 58, was given a conditional sentence on Monday in Penticton Provincial Court.

“The circumstances in this case are bizarre to say the least,” said Judge Greg Koturbash prior to handing down his sentence.

On Jan. 5 Gingras complained to the Canadian Tire manager that firearms were being kept behind tempered glass with ammunition, and that somebody could come in smash the glass and would have easy access to both firearms and ammunition.

The manager told Gingras the area the guns were kept was fine the way it was. A week later on Jan. 12 Gingras entered the store and smashed the glass during operating hours.

“You grabbed a hammer and smashed the glass to prove your point that someone could in fact enter the gun case and arm him or herself,” Koturbash said. “Unfortunately in doing that, you scared a lot of people.”

Police attended and arrested Gingras, finding a loaded firearm inside his vehicle.

Koturbash noted Gingras’ intentions were not “nefarious” and that he wasn’t intending to harm anyone, but “Penticton doesn’t have any room for any misguided Robin Hoods,” Koturbash said.

Gingras was ordered to complete 50 hours of community work service, pay a $500 restitution to Canadian Tire, sentenced to a year of probation and given a firearms prohibition.