OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — A heavily armed military reservist who crashed his truck onto the estate where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lives pleaded guilty Friday to eight mischief and weapons charges.
Corey Hurren, 46, had originally faced 21 counts of firearms violations and one of uttering threats against the prime minister.
In July 2020 Hurren drove his pick-up truck into the main gate of Rideau Hall and was arrested without incident.
The court heard that Hurren was carrying several loaded firearms and prohibited weapons, including shotguns, pistols and rifles with high capacity magazines, as he then tried to walk from his abandoned truck to confront Trudeau.
The sprawling estate in Ottawa is the home of the governor general, who represents Queen Elizabeth II in this Commonwealth country.
Trudeau, his wife and three children are staying at Rideau Cottage on the estate because his official residence is in disrepair. They were not at home at the time of the security breach.
According to an agreed statement of facts read out in court and cited by public broadcaster CBC, Hurren had wanted to interrupt the prime minister’s daily news conference on the front steps of his home to press him on the government’s pandemic response and a recent ban on assault rifles.
He’d reportedly lost his business during the pandemic, leaving him feeling angry and betrayed by his government because he hadn’t qualified for emergency assistance.
But he insisted in the court document that he wasn’t looking to harm anyone.
Hurren will be sentenced on February 23.
© Agence France-Presse
