A St. Thomas man, whose trial for throwing gravel at Canada’s prime minister was to begin Tuesday, has instead pleaded guilty to the offence.
Court officials, lawyers, witnesses, and spectators had gathered at the London courthouse for the trial, but following a short morning recess Shane Marshall surprised them by entering a guilty plea for assault. The 26-year-old had originally been charged with assault with a weapon in relation to the September 6, 2021 incident.
Trudeau had been in town for a Liberal campaign whistle stop at London Co-Operative Brewing Company on Princess Avenue when someone pelted him with a handful of gravel. He looked startled for a moment, briefly glanced over his shoulder at the crowd, then boarded the bus. Trudeau was not hurt.
Marshall, a former official with the Elgin Middlesex London People’s Party of Canada riding association, was arrested and charged five days later.
In a statement of facts read by the Crown Tuesday, the court heard Marshall picked up the gravel from a driveway and threw it at Trudeau. This was caught on video and witnessed by several people. The gravel not only hit Trudeau, but also members of his team and supporters, the Crown said.
A pre-sentence report has been ordered and a sentencing hearing for Marshall has been set for May 1.
-More to come.
