Prescott, Ont., man pleads guilty to uttering death threat aimed at Conservative MP

CBC News

· Posted: May 29, 2025 11:54 AM EDT | Last Updated: 14 minutes ago

A Prescott, Ont., antheral has been banned from owning firearms and different weapons for 3 years and sentenced to 1 twelvemonth probation aft pleading blameworthy to 1 complaint of uttering decease threats, which were aimed astatine Ontario Conservative MP Michael Barrett.

Daniel Elwood MacKay entered his plea astatine the Ontario Court of Justice located successful Brockville, Ont., connected April 16, according to tribunal documents obtained by CBC News. 

He initially faced 2 counts of uttering decease threats, dating backmost to July 18, 2024. One menace was aimed astatine Barrett, who serves arsenic his party's morals critic, and different aimed astatine Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Court documents amusement the 2nd charge, involving the menace against Poilievre's life, was withdrawn. 

MacKay was besides sentenced to wage $100 into a money for victims.

He lives successful Barrett's Ontario riding and lone lives astir an hr distant from Poilievre's erstwhile riding of Carleton.

Barrett said that the menace against his beingness was made by MacKay successful a connection to constabulary portion they investigated threats made online against Poilievre. 

"I'm grateful to instrumentality enforcement and the courts for treating the substance seriously. No 1 successful nationalist beingness should beryllium subjected to threats of unit for doing their job," Barrett said successful a statement.

"I chose to tally for bureau due to the fact that I privation to supply anticipation and present results for the radical of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands-Rideau Lakes, and I'm dedicated to that each azygous day."

Harassment, threats against MPs rising exponentially

MPs and information officials person been raising concerns astir akin issues for months, saying threats against elected officials person reached a level that is untenable.

In May, the House of Commons sergeant-at-arms warned that harassment of MPs has spiked astir 800 per cent successful 5 years.

Patrick McDonell told a committee of MPs that his bureau has started "bulk filing" harassment complaints received by MPs due to the fact that of the surge, noting determination were astir 8 files involving threatening behaviour successful 2019, portion successful 2023 determination 530.

In July 2024, the caput of the RCMP portion liable for protecting politicians told CBC's Power & Politics that the fig of MPs asking for extortion has astir doubled since 2018.

In caller months, offices person been vandalized, families person been harassed, and astatine slightest 1 MP said she wouldn't tally again owed to the threats and harassment she faced.  

Last year, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said helium wanted the authorities to look astatine drafting a caller instrumentality to marque it easier for constabulary to prosecute charges against radical who endanger elected officials, but erstwhile justness curate Arif Virani suggested that existing Criminal Code provisions were sufficient.