A former army reservist who crashed a truck loaded with weapons through the gates of Rideau Hall to confront Prime Minister Justin Trudeau four years ago has been freed on statutory release.
A Parole Board of Canada decision obtained by Global News said Corey Hurren was scheduled for release on July 7. A subsequent ruling by the same agency gave the date as July 9.
The decision said he would be moving to “a room at a house” after spending the past 20 months on day parole at a community residential facility. Further details on the house were blacked out.
At the recommendation of the Correctional Service of Canada, the Parole Board imposed four conditions upon his release, including psychological counselling.
He must also seek employment, take prescribed mediation and share his financial information with his parole officer. “The conditions are reasonable and necessary,” the Board wrote.
On July 2, 2020, Hurren rammed his pickup through the gates of Rideau Hall, where Trudeau had been conducting daily news conferences. The Manitoba resident was armed with a semi-automatic rifle, two shotguns and two handguns.
During the 90-minute standoff, he told police he had come to “arrest” Trudeau, whom he believed was a communist. He also felt the pandemic was planned and was angry about gun laws.
At the time, he was a master corporal in the 4th Canadian Rangers Patrol Group. He was officially released from the military in 2021. A National Defence report said he “issued threats against the prime minister.”
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The judge said his purpose was “targeting the prime minister,” and called his actions a “politically motivated armed assault intended to intimidate Canada’s elected government.”
“Mr. Hurren carefully planned his actions, and he committed them for the purpose of bringing attention to his political views,” the judge wrote.
“He forced his way onto the grounds of Prime Minister Trudeau’s residence, intending to have a confrontation. This was an armed aggression against the government which must be denounced in the strongest terms.”
Hurren claimed he expected police would kill him.
An expert report found that Hurren had no psychotic disorders nor any indications of substance abuse or post-traumatic stress disorder, but that he was depressed.
Hurren was suffering financial troubles after he lost his job and his sausage business failed. He had decided to drive to Ottawa after receiving phone calls about his truck being repossessed.
He pleaded guilty to eight charges on Feb. 5, 2021. The maximum sentence was 10 years but he was sentenced to five — on top of the one year he was credited for due to the time he spent in custody awaiting trial.
At sentencing, the judge said Hurren was unremorseful, had not renounced his conspiracy theories and “represents an ongoing risk.” But less than two years later, he was granted day parole.
The Nov. 16, 2022, parole decision said Hurren identified as Metis and, as an Indigenous offender, his loss of culture was a factor in the parole decision, which was made over the objections of Correctional officials.
In a decision dated June 6, the Parole Board said Hurren had undergone psychological counselling, and completed an employment skills program but was awaiting a hip replacement before returning to work.
“Your current offence demonstrated a willingness to engage in violent behavior as you broke through a government gate with loaded weapons, and this resulted in a 90-minute standoff,” it said.
“It was found you were stressed and depressed for a time period prior to engaging in this behavior. You have since been placed on medication to manage your mental health and appear to maintain mental health stability.”
The government’s Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre has categorized the attack as a “violent action” of ideologically motivated violent extremism involving uniformed personnel.
It came at a time of heightened threats against public officials fuelled by far-right, anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination groups. The threat level for elected officials has since been reduced to low.
The ideology of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump at an election rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, remains unknown, according to the FBI.
Ontario Superior Court records show the National Capital Commission, which manages the Rideau Hall buildings and grounds, filed suit against Hurren in 2022 for $350,000.
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
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