Crown argues accused in Coutts murder-conspiracy trial prepared for war

In a heated courtroom exchange, a man accused of colluding to execution constabulary astatine nan 2022 Coutts, Alta., blockade rejected accusations he and others brought weapons and assemblage armour to nan barricade to commencement a war.

“Coutts to you was going to beryllium a launchpad for a revolution,” charismatic Steven Johnston said to Chris Carbert successful Court of King’s Bench successful Lethbridge Wednesday.

“A revolution? No,” said Carbert.

“And you and your friends believed that if nan constabulary came successful and tried to enforce nan rule astatine Coutts to disable nan blockade and return it down that you and your friends were prepared to usage unit to repel nan police.”

“I disagree,” Carbert replied, adding, “Three group against hundreds of constabulary doesn’t make sense.”

Johnston pressed: “You believed that nan blockade was efficaciously nan warfare and that nan conflict was on. You and your friends believed that nan RCMP, arsenic they were coming down successful Coutts, represented nan devil.”

Carbert: “That ne'er came retired of my mouth, no.”

Johnston: “That they were nan enemy.”

Carbert: “I decidedly said that. I can’t contradict that.”

Johnston continued: “You believed that nan Coutts blockade was efficaciously a standoff to nan last guidelines for you and your group of friends, to guidelines up for what you believed were your freedoms, and that you were prepared to get assemblage armour and armour yourselves up and beryllium fresh to person a conflict pinch nan police.”

In earlier grounds Carbert referred to constabulary arsenic “kind of heroes successful occidental culture.”

Johnston challenged Carbert connected that, pointing to a bid of matter messages successful which Carbert referred to constabulary arsenic “losers” and “the enemy.”

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“These are nan cops that you called heroes,” said Johnston. “I’m going to propose to you, Mr. Carbert, you didn’t deliberation they were nan heroes. You thought they were, arsenic you wrote, nan enemy.”

Carbert changeable back, “I disagree pinch you wholeheartedly. They are my words (but) they’re reactionary.”

Carbert and Anthony Olienick are connected proceedings together earlier a jury.

They are accused of colluding to perpetrate execution astatine nan blockade, which tied up postulation for 2 weeks astatine nan busy Alberta-U.S. separator crossing to protestation COVID-19 rules and vaccine mandates.

Text messages from different protesters publication retired successful tribunal indicated galore were fresh to make a past guidelines astatine nan blockade. But aft constabulary made arrests and seized weapons, nan remaining demonstrators packed up and near peacefully.

Carbert has antecedently testified he brought guns and assemblage armour to nan blockade but said location was nary scheme for unit unless he had to possibly fly to nan mountains and fend disconnected personification trying to springiness him a COVID-19 vaccine shot.

Olienick did not return nan guidelines successful his ain defence.

Court has heard Olienick considered nan blockade nan conflict of a life against a authorities bent connected ending individual freedoms.

Undercover officers person quoted Olienick telling them he considered constabulary nan pawns of “devil” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and that if constabulary stormed nan blockade he would “slit their throats.”