A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Crown prosecutor Geneviève Crépeau confirmed to Noovo Info that a judge delivered the sentence Friday at the Sherbrooke courthouse.
Germain Lemay, a resident of Hampden in the Eastern Townships, admitted in January to uttering threats toward the two politicians in videos posted between July and September 2023, as well as making similar threats toward any police officer who came on his land and toward an employee of Quebec’s workplace health and safety board.
The Crown had sought a 20-month imprisonment sentence, while the defence was seeking a sentence of two years less a day to be served in the community.
“We have hateful, serious comments that encourage the population to revolt against the government … There are over 200 videos, over a period of two months,” said Crépeau, who cited several aggravating factors in suggesting this sentence, including the nature and repetition of the hateful comments, as well as the tone used by the accused. “The victims are numerous.”
The lack of a prior criminal record was cited as a mitigating factor at his sentencing hearing.
With files from Noovo Info
