SASKATOON – A Saskatchewan man who pleaded guilty to phoning in death threats against Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Premier Brad Wall and Elwin Hermanson, chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission, will serve a 12-month conditional sentence in his home community of Allan.
Donald Lorenz, 68, was handed the sentence by Judge Doug Agnew in Saskatoon provincial court Thursday, based on three phone calls made from a Saskatoon mall between June 18, 2009, and Feb. 14.
In March, Lorenz pleaded guilty to one count of uttering death threats. The messages were left on the answering machine of Saskatchewan Party MLA Donna Harpauer. "He really just saw it as a joke or a prank phone call, not thinking it was much beyond that," said his lawyer, Kevin Hill. "I don’t think there’s going to be an explanation that makes sense to the outside observer."
There was no "apparent ill will" involved, said Hill, and noted reports indicate he voted for the politicians and would do so again. Conditions of the sentence include serving the time in his own home community with an 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, abstaining from bars, alcohol and drugs and submitting to a search or alcohol
testing on demand. Lorenz was also required to surrender his firearms, which were previously seized as part of the RCMP investigation. He is now subject to a 10-year firearm prohibition.
He will also serve 50 hours of community service within the first six months.
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