EDMONTON — An Edmonton man who held nine people hostage at gunpoint in a Workers’ Compensation Board office building has been sentenced to almost 11 years in prison.
But a judge gave Patrick Clayton four years of credit for time he spent in pretrial custody.
Queen’s Bench Justice Sterling Sanderman also said Clayton will have to serve at least half of his remaining six years and 10 months before he is eligible for parole.
Sanderman cited Clayton’s -- quote -- “reckless and patently dangerous conduct” that understandably caused fear in his victims.
Clayton, who was armed with a hunting rifle and 100 rounds of ammunition, herded nine people into a conference room in the downtown building on Oct. 21, 2009.
The self-confessed cocaine addict had a long-standing beef over a knee-injury claim.
He slowly released the hostages before surrendering peacefully to police 10 hours later.
Clayton, 40, pleaded guilty to hostage-taking, pointing a firearm and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.