Canadian Armed Forces member who breached Rideau Hall pleads guilty

Mr Trudeau and his family live in a cottage on the grounds of the estate

A Canadian military member has pleaded guilty to eight charges after he breached the gates of an estate where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lives.

Corey Hurren, a military reservist and sausage-maker, faced a total of 21 weapons charges and one for threatening Mr Trudeau after the July 2020 attack.

Mr Hurren drove through the main gates of Rideau Hall, before entering the grounds on foot.

Police were able to talk Mr Hurren down and arrest him without incident.

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The Manitoba resident was armed with several guns, police said, including one with an illegal magazine.

In an Ottawa court on Friday, Mr Hurren pleaded guilty to seven weapon related charges, including possessing weapons for "a purpose dangerous to the public peace".

He also pleaded guilty to wilfully damaging property.

Prime Minister Trudeau and his family, who are currently living at a cottage on the Rideau Hall property while the official residence is renovated, were not at home at the time of the 3 July incident.

Nor was then-Governor General Julie Payette, who lived in Rideau Hall as the official representative of Queen Elizabeth II, Canada's head of state.

Mr Hurren said in a statement read in court that he did not intend to hurt anyone.

According to the RCMP's investigation, obtained by the CBC, Mr Hurren wanted to have Mr Trudeau arrested "for his policies related to firearms restrictions and Covid responses".

Pictures taken outside Rideau Hall after the incident last summer appeared to show damage to the main pedestrian gate, which Mr Hurren rammed through in his vehicle.

Mr Hurren had two loaded shotguns, a revolver, a prohibited rifle and a pistol with him at the time, court documents said.

Two months before the attack, Mr Trudeau's Liberal government had announced a ban on the sale and use of 1,500 varieties of assault weapons. The measure followed a gun rampage across the province of Nova Scotia that became the deadliest shooting in Canada's history.

Mr Hurren will return to court for a sentencing hearing on 23 February.