CTVNews.ca Staff
Published Monday, Jul. 30, 2012 9:10PM EDT
A 44-year-old man was fined in a Saskatoon courtroom on Monday, months after his fiancee’s son took his gun to school where it went off at the back of a classroom.
Perry Hubet was charged with improper storage and failing to renew a license after the 11-year-old boy found the man’s gun, loaded it and took it to school in his backpack last January.
No one was hurt during the incident at St. Peter school. Judge Daryl Labach said it was by “the grace of God no child or teacher was shot that day.”
Hubet pleaded guilty and received a $1,040 fine, reported CTV Saskatoon’s Jennifer Jellicoe.
"He feels horrible that this occurred,” said Morris Bodnar, Hubet’s lawyer. “He feels horrible, but that's in hindsight. He didn't expect this to happen."
Hubet had two handguns and five long rifles in his home. Hubet said he grew up hunting and target shooting, but had not used his guns in years.
Hubet said he knew the boy wanted to see the guns, and had spoken to him about the dangers they pose before the incident last January.
Neither he, nor the boy’s mother, expected the child to search the home for the keys to the gun case, take out the gun and load it before carrying it to school.
Labach noted that Hubet had taken most of the necessary precautions in order to safely store the gun. However, the gun did not have a trigger lock, and for that Hubet had to be held responsible.
"If you've got firearms you're expected to store them properly and there's a big public interest in doing so,” said Crown prosecutor Darren Howarth. “Especially handguns. They're just so inherently dangerous."
Hubet says he will never again store guns in his home.
With a report from CTV Saskatoon’s Jennifer Jellicoe
