Halifax man gets house arrest for carrying loaded gun, cocaine trafficking

A 29-year-old Halifax man has escaped a prison sentence for carrying a loaded handgun and trafficking in cocaine in 2020.

Nathaniel Dominic White has been sentenced to two years of house arrest, followed by two years of probation.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Peter Rosinski released his sentencing decision on Friday, detailing why he opted for less than what the Crown was seeking, and what is typical in cases like this.

The Crown had been asking for a five-year sentence.

In their brief, prosecutors laid out their reasons for seeking a harsher sentence.

"Handguns are killing machines that serve no purpose but to extinguish life, maim, and intimidate," the Crown brief reads.

"In the hands of a cocaine dealer, the chance that they will be used to such pernicious effect multiplies."

In his decision, Rosinski placed a lot of weight on the Impact of Race and Cultural Assessment that had been prepared for White's sentencing.

It spoke at length about White's difficult upbringing in what it described as "low income, crime infested communities."  Two of his brothers, Decoda and Ryan, were murdered, and the family had to move abruptly to try to escape the violence. Shots were fired into their home on a couple of occasions.

"One evening two armed men in ski masks kicked in the front door to the residence," the author of the report wrote.

"These individuals had guns and were threatening the family. Ms. White (Theresa White, Nathaniel's mother) managed to grab her cell phone and call 911. She said the intruders took off before law enforcement arrived."

In handing down the suspended sentence, Rosinski noted that White has managed to stay out of trouble since his conviction.

White has attributed his change in behaviour to the fact he has a young child, with another one on the way, and he wants to set a good example.