Former reservist who crashed Rideau Hall gate in 2020 freed on statutory release

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The former military reservist who stormed Rideau Hall in a failed, armed attack on the prime minister’s residence in July 2020 has been freed on statutory release.

Corey Hurren pleaded guilty to mischief and weapons charges after arming himself with a semi-automatic rifle, two shotguns and two handguns and crashing through the Rideau Hall gates on July 2, 2020.

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He told police during a 90-minute standoff that he had driven from Manitoba to Ottawa in an attempt to “arrest” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau because he was outraged by COVID-19 restrictions and a ban on assault-style firearms.

When Hurren pleaded guilty in February 2021, court heard that he had lost his sausage-making business during the pandemic, didn’t qualify for emergency benefits and felt angry and “betrayed by his government.”

He said he wanted to make a statement to the prime minister by showing up at one of his then-daily media briefings.

Hurren was sentenced to six years in prison, with credit for one year for time served in pretrial custody.

He mounted an appeal last year, arguing the sentencing judge had erred in assessing his lack of remorse and hadn’t given proper weight to his mental health issues.

The appeal was dismissed in March 2023.

According to the Parole Board of Canada decision in June, Hurren was initially granted day parole with leave privileges in November 2022, though he was denied full parole at the time. The parole board endorsed his day parole in May 2023, November 2023 and again in May 2024.

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He was eligible for a statutory release on July 7, according to the decision, and was granted parole with special conditions imposed on the recommendation of the Correctional Service of Canada.

Hurren was ordered to disclose his finances to his supervisor, to seek employment, to take medication as prescribed and to follow psychological counselling “to address mental health issues and reintegration stressors.”

Hurren’s statutory release and parole conditions were first reported by Global News.

According to the decision, Hurren was residing at a designated community residential facility during his release on day parole and will now “transition to a room in a house” through an unnamed agency.

Hurren has already secured the room and has been spending weekends there “with no concerns being noted,” the decision states.

The parole board “acknowledged the work (Hurren) has been doing on day parole,” that he continued to see a psychologist and that he “has strong family supports that are assisting in (his) reintegration.”

Under the terms of his sentence, Hurren is banned for life from possessing firearms, ammunition or explosive substances.

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The June 6 decision highlighted the 2022 sentencing decision from Ontario Court Justice Robert Wadden, who had noted Hurren’s political motivation in the standoff, his planning and deliberation and his heavy weaponry.

“His possession of the firearms in this context posed a risk that the weapons would be used at any point to inflict serious bodily harm or death. The deliberateness of Mr. Hurren’s actions, his intentional use of loaded weapons to make a political statement bring him a long way from a usual first offender,” Wadden said in rendering his sentence. “This was an armed aggression against the government that must be denounced in the strongest possible terms.”

The judge noted “the potential deadly nature of the standoff, the political motivation and lack of remorse” as aggravating factors in the sentence. He considered Hurren’s guilty plea, his positive personal history and his diagnosis of depression as mitigating factors.

There were no behavioural issues while Hurren was incarcerated, according to the parole board decision, and he participated in the National Employability Skills Program and one-on-one counselling.

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There were, likewise, no behavioural issues reported by his case management team and Hurren has been engaged in “pro-social activities in the community,” including support groups and church.

He had participated in “travel permits” with family members with no reported issues and had been taking overnight passes to a transition house for the past six months with no issues.

The decision notes Hurren suffers from physical ailments related to his hip, which have prevented him from working as he awaits a second hip replacement.

“Health permitting, (Hurren is) to remain gainfully employed or continue to actively search for employment or pursue academic upgrading,” the decision states.

Hurren was “stressed and depressed with (his) financial situation and debt load” at the time of the offences in 2020. “As such, this area will require ongoing monitoring.”

The conditions were imposed for the duration of his release.

ahelmer@postmedia.com

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