Prince George, B.C.-   Prince George  baker  and  owner of  the Pastry Chef  bakery in Prince George,  Karl Heinz Haus,  has been  handed a conditional  sentence for the several firearms charges he was facing.

The charges were laid following  the execution of a search  warrant  on his Hart Highlands  home and property in September  of 2013.  The search resulted in the seizure of   an M-16, an AK-47,  a 9mm Berretta and a 9mm Ruger pistol as well as 31 thousand rounds of ammunition  and  clips which had been altered to hold more than the  legal 5 round limit.

Haus  entered a guilty plea earlier this year.

In delivering her  sentence,  Judge Shannon Keyes  noted  Haus  has no  previous  criminal  record,  there was no  imminent danger posed,  that  with 65 letters of reference presented to the Court, Haus  was  a “pillar of the community”.  She also noted  that if  he was to spend  time in jail,  the bakery would  be forced to close and  the 15 people who work at the bakery ( including his wife) would be   unemployed.

Judge  Keyes  said all  indications are that  Haus’s  collecting of firearms, was an obsession that  was not unlike  a person who has  several  high speed vehicles ” He knows he can’t  drive  them all, but  enjoys looking at them.”   In Haus’s case, she said  he  let his obsession  overtake  the  need to  follow the law.  She  was satisfied he would  never use any  weapons to  cause harm to anyone and  believes  “he is genuinely and deeply remorseful.”

Haus  apologized to the court for his actions,  and said  the consequences of   being obsessed with  collecting the firearms  has   hurt his family  deeply.

Although Crown had asked for  a much stiffer sentence saying Haus had an “arsenal”  on his property, Judge Keyes  said that claim was “exaggerated”, saying that in northern B.C.  legal possession of firearms for  hunting and sport  is common  “If  four guns make an arsenal,  then I suggest  there is an arsenal in every block in Prince George.”

Judge Keyes  handed down a 6 month conditional sentence to be served in the community  for  three of of the  charges  including  possession of  prohibited/restricted firearm with ammunition, and a three month conditional sentence  for the three others which included possessing a firearm with an altered serial number. the conditional sentences are to be served concurrently.

The conditions Haus must  adhere to include a curfew from 10pm to 6 am,  no alcohol,  cannot  enter a liquor store,  or pub or any premise where minors are excluded,  provide a DNA sample and he is prohibited from owning firearms.