St. Thomas, Ont. man pleads guilty to throwing stones at prime minister
CTV
After failing in his attempt to have Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testify at his trial, Shane Marshall, 26, of St. Thomas pleaded guilty on Tuesday in a London, Ont. courtroom.
After failing in his attempt to have Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testify at his trial, Shane Marshall, 26, of St. Thomas pleaded guilty on Tuesday in a London, Ont. courtroom.
Marshall was originally charged with assault with a weapon after someone threw stones at the prime minister during an election campaign stop in east London on Sept. 6, 2021.
Defence lawyer Luke Reidy tried to have Tuesday’s proceedings adjourned after a subpoena to have Trudeau testify was quashed by the courts.
Crown Attorney Jeremy Carnegie argued that, “It really makes no difference whether the prime minister testifies or not...for a conviction.”
Eventually Marshall, who was a former riding president for the People’s Party of Canada, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of assault.
Outside the courthouse there was a small group of demonstrators who gathered in support of Marshall.
Inside, there was a delay in the proceedings after an outburst in the gallery forced Justice Kevin McHugh to briefly call for a break.
