A man has received a conditional sentence after threatening a Richmond member of Parliament online.
Peter Liu pleaded guilty to using a firearm while threatening to cause death or bodily harm to Wilson Miao, MP for Richmond Centre.
Richmond Provincial Court Judge Diana Vandor sentenced Liu to 60 days to be served in the community, 16 months’ probation and 100 hours of community service.
“By targeting a politician in the manner that he did, Mr. Liu’s conduct is inherently anti-democratic,” Vandor said.
Liu posted on social media a video of news articles about Miao beating his Conservative opponent because of alleged Chinese interference.
On the video, Liu accused Miao of being a “communist agent of China,” saying he’ll “get what is coming to him” and “punctuating that threat with phrases that are often uttered by Islamic extremists just prior to committing acts of terrorism,” Vandor ruled.
After the video was posted on Facebook by Liu, a friend of his saw it and contacted the RCMP.
The RCMP’s national security enforcement team handled the investigation.
Vandor noted in the Sept. 25 sentencing that Liu was “fully cooperative” with that investigation.
After getting a search warrant, police seized 11 rifles that were not safely stored, ammunition and magazines without pins.
Liu had a licence to own firearms and collected firearms with “historical military significance.”
Vandor said her main decision in sentencing was to decide whether a conditional sentence would deter and denounce “the anti-democratic and violent conduct that is at the heart of the case.”
The judge said an aggravating factor was the fact Liu threatened a politician and “punctuated” the threat by using a firearm.
She noted mitigating factors were that Liu pleaded guilty, had no criminal record and demonstrated “genuine remorse and accepted responsibility.”
He is in counselling and has agreed to forfeit his firearms. He has also volunteered with the Richmond Hospital Foundation.
Vandor, however, noted Liu’s offence impacted society’s values of “civilized debate, peaceful transitions of power, peaceful resolution of conflict, and a state governed by the rule of law.”
“Liu’s messaging invoked the use of political violence,” Vandor said.
Liu’s lawyer argued Liu wasn’t politically motivated and the video was posted on a closed Facebook group of about 30 people and would have been automatically deleted after 24 hours. The defence also argued that nothing happened and no risk materialized.
The judge rejected those arguments.
As conditions of his sentence, Liu was told not to attend any events where Miao is present nor to contact him nor go with 200 metres of his constituency office.
He was also ordered not to wear anything that would disguise his face.
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