A Sooke man serving seven years in prison for shooting his neighbour has now been ordered to pay more than $1.1 million in damages and health-care costs.
According to a BC Supreme Court decision released on August 14th, Paul Tregear shot Anthony “Tony” Nelson at point-blank range with a .22-calibre rifle on May 7th, 2022.
The shooting followed a history of disputes between the neighbours.
Nelson was shot in the driveway of his Otter Point-area property at around 7:30 p.m. that night.
He was found suffering from serious gunshot injuries and transported to a Victoria hospital.
Police described the shooting as targeted and arrested Tregear after locating him hiding in a nearby neighbourhood.
Tregear claimed during his criminal trial that he had taken the rifle outside to chase away a bear and ended up on Nelson’s property while attempting to warn him.
However, the trial judge rejected that explanation and found Tregear went to the property intending to shoot Nelson.
Related: Man shot in driveway of residence in the Otter Point area of Sooke
A jury convicted Tregear in November 2024 of aggravated assault and several firearms offences. He was later sentenced to seven years in prison.
Anthony and his wife, Wendy Nelson, subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against Tregear.
Justice Julie Gibson found Tregear liable to Anthony for assault and battery and to Wendy for intentionally inflicting mental suffering.
Tregear represented himself during the civil trial and appeared by video from prison.
Despite his criminal conviction, he maintained for much of the civil proceeding that it had not been proven he shot Anthony.
Gibson found that position ignored the outcome of his criminal trial and amounted to an abuse of the court process.
The shooting left Anthony with lasting physical and psychological injuries.
The bullet remains lodged in his body and he has undergone multiple surgeries. He also experiences a hernia that restricts his ability to lift heavy objects, an irregular heartbeat, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
His injuries have also affected his ability to return fully to his construction work.
Anthony was awarded a total of $767,100, including $230,000 for his injuries, $134,061 in past wage loss, $250,000 for reduced future earning capacity and $150,000 for future care.
Wendy, who witnessed her husband being shot, says she continues to experience post-traumatic stress and has lost much of her sense of safety and independence at home.
She was awarded $279,186, including $120,000 for mental suffering, $17,129 in past wage loss and $140,000 for future care.
Tregear was also ordered to pay the provincial government $64,064.91 for health-care costs resulting from the shooting.
In total, the court ordered Tregear to pay $1,110,350.91 to the Nelsons and the Province of British Columbia.
The decision does not indicate whether any of the money has been collected.
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