A B.C. man has been sentenced to two months house arrest after pleading guilty to posting a Facebook video of himself threatening the life of Richmond Centre’s member of Parliament.
A judge gave Peter Liu a 60-day conditional sentence Wednesday after the 30-year-old admitted videoing himself calling Wilson Miao a “communist agent” before saying, “He will get what is coming to him” and firing a shotgun into one of the Liberal politician’s pamphlets.
Provincial court Judge Diana Vandor said the former Canadian Armed Forces reservist’s conduct “amounted to a direct and literal threat to a democratically-elected politician. More generally, a threat to democracy itself.”
“In this political system, this country’s future is decided at the ballot box instead of the barrel of a gun. There is no way to ignore the power of the message that this video conveys on democracy,” the judge said.
“Mr. Liu’s messaging invoked the use of political violence. The community values of this democratic country do not align with the message that Mr. Liu conveyed nor the method that he used to convey it.”
‘It was wrong of me’
Miao was elected in 2021 after defeating a Conservative incumbent in the federal election by just 772 votes.
He made headlines in the months after as opponents claimed he and another newly elected MP benefited from the influence of pro-China activists — allegations Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino rejected as baseless.
The Parliamentary Protective Service says it’s adding more officers and tightening security after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s heated confrontation with protesters, but some MPs want the sergeant-at-arms to create larger protection zones that demonstrators can’t access.
According to a search warrant obtained by CBC, an acquaintance of the suspect approached the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) on May 15, 2023, after seeing a disturbing video posted on Liu’s Facebook page.
The VPD contacted the RCMP’s integrated national security enforcement team — the group tasked with tracking, deterring, disrupting and preventing criminal activity by people who pose threats to Canada’s security.
Liu, who was born in China, moved to Canada as a child, serving as a reservist for five years.
Vandor said Liu co-operated with investigators when they showed up at his door, telling them he “legally owned many long guns in the form of rifles, semi-automatic rifles and shotguns that were not safely stored in his home.”
The judge said Liu, who has no criminal history, was remorseful, penning an apology to Miao.
“It was wrong of me to make that video, to say those words, and to store firearms in an unsafe manner. Despite all intentions, that kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable and has no place in our society,” the letter said.
“These errors are all part of my personal failings, and I wish to amend both yours and the public’s trust in me as a responsible citizen.”
Cream pies and gravel
The sentencing comes at a time of heightened concerns about political violence and threats to politicians following a confrontation between NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and anti-government protesters.
The NDP leader confronted two men after someone accused him of being a “corrupted bastard.” The incident took place outside the House of Commons as Parliamentary Protective Service officers looked on.
In coming up with a sentence for Liu, Vandor reviewed a series of cases involving threats to Canadian politicians dating back more than two decades.
In 2001, a judge in Prince Edward Island sentenced Evan Brown to 30 days in jail for smearing a cream pie in the face of then-Prime Minister Jean Chretien — an amount reduced to eight days on appeal.
Seven years later, an Alberta man got a 12-month probation order and 60 hours of community service for posting threats to former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The judge cited three cases involving threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and three cases involving premiers of Quebec.
In 2017, a Saskatchewan man was sentenced to nine months probation for threatening Trudeau on Facebook and in 2022, an Ontario man was given a 60-day conditional sentence for threatening Trudeau’s life during a campaign event.
The most recent sentencing happened a year ago when an Ontario judge gave Shane Marshall 90 days of house arrest and a year probation for throwing gravel at Trudeau during a federal election campaign stop.
Justice Kevin McHugh said Marshall’s actions were the “manifestation of mob mentality” that threatened Trudeau’s safety, and the safety and security of Canadians.
“His actions were anti-democratic and need to be denounced in the strongest terms,” McHugh said.
Liu’s lawyers had hoped for a suspended sentence, while the Crown was looking for a six-month conditional sentence.
Vandor said it was important Liu’s sentence serve as a deterrent.
“In a free and democratic society, we value civilized debate, peaceful transitions of power, peaceful resolution of conflict, and a state governed by the rule of law,” she said.
“All of these values were impacted by this offence.”