Bail hearing postponed two weeks for accused in Rideau Hall gate crashing

OTTAWA — A bail hearing for the man accused of threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been delayed until the end of July while his lawyer waits to see the evidence against him.

Corey Hurren, 46, made a brief court appearance by phone Friday.

Hurren’s lawyer, Michael Davies, said he had not yet received disclosure of the evidence against his client and asked to have the bail hearing postponed until July 31.

Assistant Crown attorney Sabrina Goldfarb said the RCMP only sent their disclosure documents Thursday and it was not in a usable format, and that it would take until early next week for the evidence to be passed on to the defence.

Justice of the Peace Andrew Seymour granted the adjournment.

Hurren has been in custody in Ottawa since July 2, when police say they arrested him on the grounds of Rideau Hall after he allegedly crashed his truck through a security gate on the property where Trudeau and Gov. Gen. Julie Payette normally live.

Then he allegedly ran, carrying at least one gun with him, across the grounds towards the two residences.

Neither the Trudeau family nor Payette were on the grounds at the time.

Police say they caught up to him more than 10 minutes after the security breach, in the greenhouses behind Rideau Hall. Police then spoke to him for more than 90 minutes before arresting him.

Hurren, a Manitoba reservist and sausage-maker, faces 21 charges related to four guns he allegedly had with him and one of uttering threats against Trudeau.

Before the incident, he had posted online about the financial and other stresses he was under because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2020.

The Canadian Press