Canada's Firearm Prohibition Order system is broken. The latest evidence to make my case? Repeat offender Cameron Robert Vail. In February 2018, Cameron Robert Vail was convicted of assault and sentenced to probation. One of his sentencing conditions was a 5-year Firearm Prohibition Order. On January 25, 2020, Cameron Robert Vail was arrested and charged with assault … [Read more...]
Why do Criminals Go Free When Police Screw Up?
In response to my Friday column Cops Screw Up: Drug Dealer Jermaine Barrows-Taylor Escapes Illegal Handgun Conviction, one reader shared his frustration with this case specifically, as well as these types of cases in general. I do not understand why police screwups result in criminals going free. If police illegally search a vehicle and find a body, does the driver get a … [Read more...]
Violent Repeat Offender Thomas Kruger-Allen Pleads Guilty to Assault
On April 29th I asked the question "Will the coronavirus pandemic alter the Supreme Court’s interpretation of its landmark 'justice delayed is justice denied' ruling in R. v. Jordan?" I then said a series of upcoming assault and murder trials placed in limbo by COVID-19 meant we would likely find out, since the core of the Jordan decision is our Charter section 11(b) right to … [Read more...]
Team Trudeau: Gerry Hawes’ Child Pornography Arrest
If news of Liberal MP Marwan Tabbara's arrest for assault didn't upset the Liberal Party's apple cart, news that Gerry Hawes, a longtime Liberal Party insider, was arrested for child pornography most certainly will. On June 11, 2020, 58-year-old Gerry Hawes, who worked for Party in various backroom roles for 30 years, was arrested and charged with accessing and possessing … [Read more...]
Liberal MP Marwan Tabbara Charged with Assault, Break and Enter
On April 10, 2020, Marwin Tabbara, the Liberal MP for Kitchener South—Hespeler, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault, one count of break and enter, one count of commit an indictable offence and one count of criminal harassment. According to police documents, Tabbara allegedly began watching a Guelph home of an unidentified man and woman on January 1, … [Read more...]
Shannon Cruse: Murdered by an Abusive Ex-Boyfriend with a Smuggled Handgun
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. There is no such thing as a “simple” mass murder case. Every one of the events chronicled in my series on Canadian Mass Murders tells a completely different story, even if the underlying cause – the utter depravity of man – is the same. Some mass murders take on lives of their own, driven by political … [Read more...]
Dalien Illunga: Public Safety Cannot be Sacrificed on the Altar of COVID-19
“Public Safety Cannot be Sacrificed on the Altar of COVID-19.” – Justice Joseph De Filippis, R. v. Ilunga, 2020 ONCJ 270 On May 5, 2019, Dalien Ilunga, a 37-year-old immigrant from Congo, forced a young woman into his bedroom and raped her. Ilunga, who has a prior conviction for sexual assault, was already on probation for another assault, the probation … [Read more...]
Jennifer Quesnel’s Murder: Another Firearm Prohibition Order Failure?
June 10, 2020 Update via CBC: B.C. RCMP say they received no reports of domestic violence before Jennifer Quesnel was murdered by her estranged husband on June 1st, contradicting claims from her family. On Monday, June 1, 2020, every woman’s worst nightmare came true for Jennifer Quesnel. Her estranged husband, John Quesnel, shot and killed her with a gun he … [Read more...]
Luke Sanocki: Another Violent Repeat Offender Released on Bail
Luke Sanocki is another poster-boy for all that’s wrong with our criminal justice system. In 2011, Sanocki attempted to run down three police officers in a bid to escape a traffic stop with his Dodge Charger, which was loaded with illegal drugs. In December, 2019, Sanocki robbed a Winnipeg hotel at gunpoint. He was arrested for that crime as well as for violating an … [Read more...]
Justin Bourque’s 2014 Cop-Killing Rampage in Moncton, New Brunswick
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. On June 4th, 2014, shortly after 7 p.m., Justin Bourque left his trailer dressed in camouflage, a bandana on his head, and two firearms strapped to his back. He walked toward an upscale subdivision a few blocks away. Bourque ignored the civilians he encountered. "Don't worry, I'm not out to kill civilians. … [Read more...]
Nicolas Bain and Monique Boyer: Canada’s Revolving Door Injustice System
Today I examine the case of two New Brunswick drug dealers and the 53 guns seized from the home where they sold cocaine, crystal meth and, yes, illegal guns. This RCMP search warrant and subsequent seizure of drugs and guns happened because someone, upset with these career drug dealers, lit two of their vehicles on fire on May 19th, sparking an RCMP investigation. Is this … [Read more...]
Christopher Husbands: 2012 Toronto Eaton’s Centre Shooting
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. On June 2, 2012, with a grudge in his heart and a gun in his hand, Christopher Husbands walked into the Toronto Eaton Centre’s North Food Court and opened fire on Nixon Nirmalendran and Ahmed Hassan. Christopher Husbands didn’t care who else he hurt, so long as his intended victims were among the … [Read more...]
Marquis Watkins: Gun Smuggler Nets 3 Years in Prison
On October 16, 2018, Marquis Watkins, a “former football phenom”, attempted to smuggle 20 handguns into Canada via the beautiful Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls, Ontario. Watkins told border agents he was coming to Canada to take his girlfriend out for dinner. For reasons we’ll probably never know, the fine folks at the Canadian Border Services Agency didn’t buy it. Even … [Read more...]
Marcus Nugent: One Dead, One Injured in Toronto Shooting
Justin Trudeau and Bill Blair said their gun ban by Order in Council would prevent this from happening. Is it possible they “misled” the Canadian people? On Sunday, May 17th, one man shot two others in a Toronto housing complex near Victoria Park Avenue and Sheppard Avenue East. One of the shooting victims, 24-year-old Shawn Williams, died after being taken to hospital. … [Read more...]
OPP Sergeant Mike Dolderman Charged With 5 Counts of Sexual Assault
Only the police and military should have guns, they say, because some alleged sex offenders need badges and guns too, right? Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Mike Dolderman, a 21-year veteran of the Wellington County detachment, was arrested on April 23, 2020 and charged with five counts of sexual assault. He will also face five counts of breach of trust. He was … [Read more...]
Derek Anthony Wood and the Sydney River McDonald’s Murders
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. Human depravity and greed are a dangerous combination. When combined with drug abuse, a knife and a .22 calibre pistol they are lethal, as this case proves. On May 7, 1992, three young men robbed a Sydney River, Nova Scotia, McDonald's restaurant in the belief they would make off with $80,000. Instead they … [Read more...]
Judge: Nothing in Nanaimo killer’s past could predict these murders
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. "By all accounts, Kevin Douglas Addison was a diligent and competent worker. He did not abuse alcohol or drugs. There was nothing in his personal antecedents that could possibly be seen as a precursor to the murderous violence he unleashed on April 30th, 2014." -- Justice Robin A. Baird R. v. … [Read more...]
1999 High School Shooting in Taber, Alberta
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. On April 28, 1999, just eight days after the Littleton, Colorado, school massacre that horrified the world, a 14-year-old high school dropout saw the Columbine killers as some deranged idols to emulate. He took his father’s .22 calibre rifle, sawed off the barrel, grabbed hundreds of rounds of ammunition and … [Read more...]
Richardson Family Murders: How a 300-year-old werewolf helped a 12-year-old girl become Canada’s youngest multiple murderer
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. The Richardson Family Murders is the bizarre story of a 23-year-old high school dropout who claimed to be a 300-year-old blood-drinking werewolf, the 12-year-old girl who manipulated him to do her bidding, and parents desperate to regain control of their deeply troubled daughter. When her parents … [Read more...]
Thieving Former Halifax Police Constable Anthony George Sparks Sentenced to a Slap on the Wrist
“If you can’t trust a police officer, who can you trust?” – Crown attorney Rick Miller On August 12, 2018, Constable Anthony Sparks, a 13-year veteran of the Halifax Regional Police Department, stole money from a cab driver’s wallet during a traffic stop. Shortly afterward he was suspended with pay. Unknown to the thieving Constable Sparks at the time, his crime was … [Read more...]
Officer Down: RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson’s courage and bravery are exactly what we expect from RCMP members. She epitomized our national image of an RCMP officer, both on and off duty, and is rightfully being remembered as a hero. On April 19, 2020, 23-year veteran … [Read more...]
Sheriff Marco Garmo Sells Guns Illegally, Calls It a “Hobby”
On November 22, 2019, San Diego County Sheriff Marco Garmo and four other people were arrested and indicted on charges of illegal firearm trafficking. Garmo, a 27-year veteran police officer, faces charges of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, making false statements in acquisition of a firearm, obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting the … [Read more...]
Toronto Det. Const. Daryl Gazey “Not Credible as a Witness” says Judge
It's hard enough, most days, for police to make a case stick in court. That job is even harder when a case is intentionally undermined by an allegedly corrupt cop. Welcome to the story of alleged heroin dealer Siavash Norouzian, undercover Toronto Police Service Detective Constable Daryl Gazey and data from a few of cell phones. It's a story which, through a series of odd … [Read more...]
Ahmad Kadoura: Gang Thug Denied Bail for Blatant Hypocrisy
I must admit I thoroughly enjoy judges who make great decisions while metaphorically slapping criminals upside the head for their own stupidity. The latest example is Quebec Court Judge Dennis Galiatsatos’ April 14th decision denying Ahmad Kadoura’s bail application. On April 6, 2020, a Montreal SWAT team arrested Ahmad Kadoura, an 18-year-old thug, with a loaded pistol … [Read more...]
Pregnant Florida Woman Kills Home Invader with AR-15
You never need a gun until you desperately need a gun. That’s the reality Casey Johns, an eight-month pregnant mother of two, faced on the evening of October 30, 2019, in Lithia, Florida. Were it not for her quick thinking and her husband’s gun, the entire family may be dead. That night, two armed men in masks broke into the home of Casey Johns and Jeremy King, … [Read more...]
John Brittain: Murders Four in Penticton Then Turns Himself In to RCMP
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. Update #1: A judge approved John Brittain's motion to move his trial to Kelowna on May 14, 2020. On May 22nd he will be back in court to schedule a date for that trial. Update #2: BC Prosecution Service spokesman Dan McLaughlin announced Brittain's trial will begin October 5, 2020 in Kelowna. A pre-trial … [Read more...]
Matrix Savage Gathergood and the Salmon Arm Church of Christ Shooting
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. While this is technically not a mass shooting, I'm including it in this collection because it took place in a church and the death toll could easily have been far higher. At approximately 10:30 am on April 14, 2019, Matrix Savage Gathergood entered the Salmon Arm Church of Christ armed with a rifle. He shot … [Read more...]
Matthew de Grood: 2014 Calgary Stabbing Victims Were Illuminati, Vampires and Werewolves
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. This lengthy report is broken down into the following sections: 2-Minute Overview Killer Granted Unsupervised Community Outings Son of God? The Illuminati? Vampires and Werewolves? Joint Statement of Families as Trial Gets Underway Not Criminally Responsible, Justice Eric Macklin Rules … [Read more...]
Staff Sgt. Will Hinterberger Breaches Bail Conditions on Sexual Assault Charges
On September 13, 2019, Ottawa Police Staff Sgt. Will Hinterberger was suspended as part of an investigation into missing police files. The Ottawa Citizen reported on Hinterberger’s past duties, as well as his romantic relationship with the mother of suspected ISIL sympathizer Tevis Gonyou-McLean, who was arrested by the RCMP last August. Hinterberger was a patrol supervisor … [Read more...]
UK Police Pro-Actively Search Registered Sex Offenders to Ensure Compliance
Common sense dictates our scarce police resources should be devoted to those individuals who pose the greatest risk to public safety, yet these are the people Canada’s police and legislators totally ignore. If Britain’s police can pro-actively check on and search registered sex offenders, why can’t Canada’s police pro-actively check on and search the most dangerous people in … [Read more...]