THUNDER BAY - The third man charged in connection to a 2020 shooting incident on Golf Links Road that involved the victim driving himself to hospital and crashing into a barricade has pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated assault.
Brandon Kelly of Peterborough, Ont. appeared in a Thunder Bay Courtroom in Oct. 25, 2021 for sentencing. Kelly was initially facing a charge of attempted murder with a firearm for his role in the incident but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated assault.
Kelly was sentenced to time served with 160 days of pre-sentence custody enhanced to 240 days credited, as well as three years probation. He is also required to submit a DNA sample and is subject to a lifetime weapons prohibition.
The charges relate to incident on May 3, 2020 where a shooting took place in the Golf Links Road area that resulted in a man sustaining serious injuries. Jacob Wattie and Terry Pelto were also arrested and initially charged with attempted murder following the incident.
Wattie has since pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm while prohibited and using a firearm for the purposes of robbery and sentenced to five years, while Pelto also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm while prohibited, possession of a firearm without a licence, and using a firearm for the purposes of robbery and sentenced to five years.
According to facts read into the court record, Pelto believed the victim had stolen a bag containing money and a firearm that belonged to him. Wattie and Kelly were contacted to help look for the victim and the bag.
The victim was then confronted in a driveway on Golf Links Road where the three accused demanded the money be returned and threatened to kill him.
Wattie shot the victim in the upper thigh of his right leg and Pelto shot him in the upper thigh of his left leg. The three accused fled the scene and the victim drove himself to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and crashed into a barricade because he was unable to stop.
The victim required emergency surgery and his right and left femurs suffered extensive damage.
Pelto was arrested by the Thunder Bay Police Service the next day, while Wattie was arrested several days later. Kelly was arrested in June 2020.
All other charges against Kelly, which included several firearms related offences, were withdrawn at the request of the Crown.
