SAULT STE. MARIE — A Peterborough murder suspect, who barricaded himself inside a Manitou Park home last year, pleaded guilty Wednesday to half a dozen weapons offences.
Eduardo Tito Silva was convicted of six charges involving three handguns and a high-capacity magazine.
The offences included three counts of a possession of a restricted weapon (a handgun) – a 9-mm Glock, 10-mm Glock and a 45-calibre Glock.
The remainder involved single counts of possession of a weapon magazine without a licence, having a firearm while prohibited and possession of a handgun for a dangerous purpose.
Silva, 36, of Barrie, faced more than 30 weapons-related charges stemming from the Aug. 22, 2023 incident.
At the time of the Farquhar Street standoff, he was wanted in connection with a July 2022 homicide that occurred in Peterborough.
When he was arrested in the Sault Ste. Marie area, he was initially charged with seven offences, including second-degree murder, in connection with the shooting death of Shawn Singh a year earlier.
City police later charged him with 33 weapons offences after returning to the residence the following day with a search warrant.
Ontario Court Justice Romuald Kwolek also heard Silva was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant and was prohibited from possessing various firearms and ammunition at the time of the incident.
As well, Silva had two life-time weapons' prohibitions, assistant Crown attorney Robert Skeggs said.
When the cops executed the Criminal Code search warrant on Aug. 23, they found the three handguns, two high-capacity magazines and ammunition for several different calibre firearms.
The prosecutor and defence lawyer Ari Goldkind jointly called for a penitentiary sentence of three years, 10 months, less credit for the time Silva has spent in custody since his arrest.
Given Silva's criminal record, which includes robbery and other weapon convictions, he should receive a significant custodial sentence just for one of these offences, Skeggs said.
Goldkind agreed his client's record is significant, related and "unenviable," telling the judge "'he's no Mother Teresa."
The defence also indicated with the amount of firearms and ammunition involved, the Crown could have sought more time.
This joint position was worked out with the Crown offices in the Sault and Peterborough, Goldkind said, and once it was done "this matter moved quickly to resolution."
Silva is slated to go to trial on the "most significant Criminal Code charge (murder)" in Peterborough late next year, he told the court.
Kwolek said with the enhanced credit for the 15 months Silva has already spent in jail, he faces a further two years less a day behind bars – time that will be served in a provincial jail.
When he imposed the sentence, the judge noted the proliferation of weapons and handguns across this province and country.
These are serious offences, and Silva has a prior related record, and two previous life-time prohibitions, Kwolek said.
While his guilty pleas are mitigating, "serious offences require serious and lengthy custodial sentences."
He ordered forfeiture of all the weapons and ammunition seized by the police.
As well, he imposed further life-time weapon prohibitions. At the request of the defence, Kwolek recommended that Silva serve the remainder of his time at the Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre.
