Mother of nail gun shooting victim 'liberated' by judge's decision

The mother of a young man who was shot in the back with a nail gun last year in Pictou County, N.S.,saysshe's "beyond satisfied" by a judge's decisionto convict Shawn Wade Hynes.

"I felt vindicated. I felt liberated," said Stacey Dlamini, who was in court Thursdayto hear the judge's decision.

Hynes, who is fromPictou County, wasconvicted of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon.

"It was just such a weight off of our shoulders, to hear the judge say what we've been saying all this time, that this was an intentional act, that there was a weak culture of safety at the workplace ...that made an action like this possible,"Dlamini said.

Hynes's trial took place overthree days last week atPictou provincial court. He was found guilty Thursday by Judge Del Atwood, according to Crown attorney Bill Gorman.

The victim, Nhlanhla Dlamini, testified last weekhe ran away from Hynes because he didn't feel safeand wasshot in the back with a 3-inch framing nail. Dlamini suffered a punctured lung.

Hynes told the court the incident that happened at a worksite in Abercrombiewas an accident.He said thenail ricocheted.

Gorman said Thursday that Atwood accepted the Crown's theorythe act was intentional, and rejected the notion it was an accident.

Aside from the verdict, Dlamini said she was pleasedAtwood took responsibility for failing to issuea bench warrant for Hynes's arrest when he failed to appearfor his first scheduled court date, which could have sped up the process.

Gorman said Atwood intends to release a written account of his decision soon.

Hynes is expected back in Pictou provincial court for sentencing on Nov.15.

"I'll have to conduct some research based upon these facts in determining what is a fit and proper sentence," Gorman said.

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