‘Stupid, drunk, cocaine-induced mistake’: Onslow car shooter talks about night that will cost him four years in prison
TRURO, NS — One of two men accused of shooting at a car in Onslow, Colchester County, last spring has been sentenced to more than four years in prison on gun charges.
Jeffrey Elmer Moxsom, 39, was arraigned in Truro County Court Thursday on a slew of gun charges.
RCMP officers responded to reports on March 3, 2022 that Moxsom, along with Gregory Allen Barr, drunk and on illegal drugs, used a shotgun to fire 10 rounds at a Toyota Hilux at around 12:30 a.m. near Highway 2 in Onslow.
The owner of the vehicle, Richard Roode, initially thought his car had been hit with paintballs. When he arrived at work around 1:20 a.m., he saw that there was a bullet hole in the back of his car.
Moxsom, who fired the gun, had a life gun ban due to a previous conviction.
Dunlevy’s report
RCMP Commander Critical Incident Staff Sgt. Kevin Dunlevy, reading his report to the court, said an emergency response team, crisis negotiation team, police dog services and air support from the RCMP had all been called in. Further air support from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables was underway. stand-by.
Also on high alert was the RCMP Special Activities Group (SAG) – a specialist group that is “placed in high risk or imminent threat situations to help local RCMP detachments and ERT resources locate suspects using specialist techniques”, Dunlevy said.
Colchester residents received an emergency alert at approximately 9:00 a.m. on March 3, warning them of Barr’s use of firearms and that he was seen driving a gray Honda Civic.
Moxsom would later be identified as the vehicle’s passenger, as well as the gunman. He was arrested around 12:05 a.m. at his home in Lower Onslow. He told police the shotgun was stored in a bedroom closet. Three firearms and a box of ammunition were found and seized. Police noted that his children were at home at the time of the arrest.
The handgun used in the incident, a Ruger .22, was found loaded with a magazine inserted. The trigger safety was disabled.
Moxsom also informed police that the shooting was completely random. It was later revealed in court that Roode was the brother of Kristen Beaton, one of those killed in the April 2020 Portapique mass shooting.
Cooperation and responsibility
Moxsom pleaded guilty to charges of careless storage of firearms, possession of a firearm without a license, and possession of a firearm while under a restraining order.
A joint recommendation of a prison term of three to five years was agreed upon by his attorney Mark Bailey and crown attorney Thomas Kayter.
“Mr. Moxsom cooperated with the investigation,” Kayter said. Moxsom’s admission of guilt is a true representation of an apology.”
Bailey said Moxsom also helped them find Barr, who has not yet been brought to justice.
“Without his cooperation, this research would not have been so easy,” said Bailey. “It is noteworthy that there was a blizzard during these events and the investigation would have been very difficult.”
He later added that Moxsom had no intention of provoking such a large-scale police action and “feels the deepest regret”.
Moxsom, who was given a chance to speak during the proceedings, called the incident a “stupid, drunk, cocaine-fuelled mistake” and that he did not want to be separated from his wife and two children.
Judge Alan Begin referred to Moxsom’s file and said police action was necessary.
“Portapique or no Portapique, the traumatic effect (inflicted) by a random gunman … the police have no idea who’s doing it or why he’s doing it, (and it) necessitated the response it brought out.
“We have no idea what was going to happen. None. Shots were fired and now people are on the run. The police response was expected and appropriate – certainly not over the top.”
Begin called Moxsom’s behavior “grossly disturbing”, and that it was lucky he didn’t kill Roode.
Moxsom was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, with a five and a half month pretrial detention already served.
