Alberta murder-conspiracy trial hears prohibited gun seized at Coutts border blockade

A firearms master told a murder-conspiracy proceedings Tuesday that a firearm seized successful raids adjacent nan separator blockade astatine Coutts, Alta., was a prohibited weapon.

Bryan Hui pinch nan RCMP nationalist firearms laboratory successful Surrey, B.C., testified by video. He said he reviewed each weapons, components and ammunition seized successful 2022 from trailers successful Coutts, fishy vehicles and a location of 1 of nan accused, Anthony Olienick.

A photograph of a long, achromatic semi-automatic Panther Arms firearm pinch a pistol grip was shown to nan jury.

It’s prohibited, Hui said.

“It is known arsenic a version of nan AR-15 aliases nan M-16 aliases M-4 platform,” he told court.

“In different words, it’s proscribed to beryllium a prohibited firearm wrong nan regulations group retired by law.”

Olienick and Chris Carbert are charged pinch conspiracy to perpetrate execution of constabulary astatine nan blockade, which tied up postulation for 2 weeks astatine nan engaged Canada-U.S. separator crossing successful a protestation of COVID-19 measures and vaccine mandates.

Olienick and Carbert are besides charged pinch mischief and possession of a limb for a vulnerable purpose. Olienick faces a further complaint of possessing a tube bomb.

The judge dismissed nan assemblage early Tuesday owed to a aesculapian issue. Hui was scheduled to proceed testifying Wednesday.

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The proceedings earlier heard that constabulary recovered rifles, assemblage armour, buckets of ammunition and a firearms licence successful Carbert’s sanction successful trailers successful Coutts.

More weapons, ammunition and 2 tube bombs were later recovered astatine Olienick’s home.

Undercover officers, posing arsenic volunteers astatine nan blockade, testified that Olienick said he believed Mounties were nan devices of “devil” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and deserved to beryllium hanged.

The officers told tribunal that Olienick said if constabulary raided nan blockade, he would “slit their throats.”

The proceedings has besides seen matter messages from Carbert informing his mother of war, saying he’s prepared to die.