Crown Seeks 13 to 15 Years for Man Convicted in 2024 Dartmouth Drive-By Shooting
The Crown is seeking a 13- to 15-year prison sentence for Trequawn Alvontra Smith, convicted on 17 charges including attempted murder for his role in a February 2024 drive-by shooting in Dartmouth that left a 21-year-old man with severe head injuries. The defence has argued for an eight-year term.
A Nova Scotia judge has reserved her sentencing decision until October 21 for a 26-year-old North Preston man convicted of his role in a drive-by shooting that left a young driver with life-altering injuries.
Trequawn Alvontra Smith was found guilty on all 17 charges, including attempted murder, by Judge Jill Hartlen in March 2025. During a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, the Crown sought a prison term of 13 to 15 years, less approximately 6.5 months of remand credit, citing the need for denunciation and deterrence. Defence lawyer Patrick MacEwen argued that an eight-year sentence would be fit and appropriate, emphasizing Smith’s status as a first-time offender with prospects for rehabilitation, a supportive family, and a history of trauma from previous exposure to gun violence, including the deaths of friends and family members.
The shooting occurred at approximately 3:10 a.m. on February 19, 2024, at the intersection of Catherine Street and Lahey Road in north-end Dartmouth. Victim Kody Pelrine, 21, was driving toward the airport when a passenger in a black SUV shot him in the forehead. Pelrine underwent brain surgery at Halifax Infirmary, during which metal fragments were removed. He spent three days in the hospital and was left with visible scars, requiring 37 staples on his head and three stitches on his forehead. The targeted attack against an innocent victim caused fear within the community.
Judge Hartlen determined that Smith was part of a coordinated attack. Approximately 10 minutes after the shooting, police stopped a black Hyundai Kona driven by Smith. Officers recovered two semi-automatic Glock pistols from the vehicle along with overcapacity magazines containing live rounds, highlighting issues regarding gun control. Forensic analysis linked 11 expended cartridge cases to the Glock found under Smith's driver seat and five to the second handgun located on the passenger side. Seven cartridges were attributed to a third, unknown gun. In total, 23 expended bullet cartridge cases and six projectiles were recovered. Smith had gunshot residue on both hands and the left side of his face, and his DNA was found in mixed profiles on the driver-seat gun and a balaclava seized from the vehicle.
A co-accused, Cory Julian Taylor, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to unauthorized possession of a loaded prohibited firearm related to the incident. Taylor, who faced 12 offences, received an 18-month conditional sentence plus one year of probation.