WARNING: This story contains foul language that may be offensive to some readers.
Derek Hurrell, 34, received a two-year suspended sentence with conditions for making threats to kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Hurrell was emotional, wiping tears from his eyes as judge Barry Singer gave him credit for undergoing counselling to help with his mental health issues and/or depression.
On Monday, court heard that Hurrell posted “I just want to take a gun to Justin Trudeau’s f****** head and blow his head off. It would be a service to Canada :-) :-) :-)” on Facebook.
In March, New Brunswick RCMP notified the RCMP national security enforcement section about alleged threats made by a man against the prime minister. This led to an investigation by Saskatchewan RCMP and in May, Derek Hurrell from Borden, Sask., was arrested and charged with uttering threats. He pleaded guilty.
Hurrell’s lawyer, Lional Kaysaes, said he’s very remorseful and has elected to remove himself from social media.
“When people go on to social media, some of the filters tend to come off and it tends to be a situation where people say things they wouldn’t normally say in the course of their everyday lives and he certainly expressed regret at the comments that were made,” Kayseas said.
During Hurrell’s last court appearance, he was protected by members from the group Heaven’s Hellions.
On Monday, Hurrell was solo in Saskatoon provincial court when he received the sentence with conditions that he continue seeing medical professionals, report to a probation officer, not be on social media unless it’s to look for work and not possess guns/explosives.
“The judge today shared our view that this was not an offence that warranted jail, so we have the suspended sentence that the judge handed down today that I think is an appropriate sentence,” Kayseas said.
Hurrell told his lawyer he had no intentions of acting on his threat and didn’t realize the seriousness of his statement.
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