Trudeau Gravel-Thrower Set to Be Sentenced; Crown and Defence at Odds Over Jail Time
A man (top R) throws gravel at Liberal leader Justin Trudeau (L) as the RCMP security detail provide protection, while protesters shout at a local microbrewery during the Canadian federal election campaign in London Ont., on Sept. 6, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)
An Ontario man who threw gravel at Justin Trudeau during a 2021 federal election campaign event marred by protest is set to be sentenced today.
Shane Marshall, a 26-year-old man from St. Thomas, Ont., pleaded guilty to common assault in March.
His defence lawyer told a provincial court last week that Marshall let his anger management issues get the better of him when he tossed stones at the prime minister during a September 2021 campaign stop in London, Ont.
The Crown, meanwhile, framed Marshall’s action as not just an assault on a political candidate, but an assault on democracy.
The defence suggested Marshall should be handed a one-year suspended sentence with mandatory community service, while the Crown argued a sentence of 30 days in jail was necessary to effectively denounce and deter violence during campaigns.
Trudeau’s 2021 federal campaign events as Liberal leader were routinely marked by protestors who railed against COVID-19 vaccine policies and measures the government introduced to stem the spread of the virus.
