Close X
Sunday, January 12, 2025
ADVT 
National

Ex-soldier gets 4 years for planned attack on Calgary Veterans Affairs office

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Feb, 2015 10:23 AM

    CALGARY — A judge has sentenced a former soldier to four years in prison for his plot to attack a Veterans Affairs office saying his crimes were "chilling in their meticulous planning".

    Glen Gieschen, 45, is getting 18 months of credit for time served in custody. He is also banned for life from owning any weapons.

    He dabbed at tears while Judge Sean Dunnigan outlined his reasons for the sentence and the circumstances of Gieschen's crimes.

    "If Mr. Gieschen had followed through with all or part of his plan, the results would have been catastrophic for those working in the Bashaw building and for first responders who would have come upon a nightmare of death and destruction," Dunnigan said Tuesday.

    "Unlike our neighbours to the south, Canada does not typically deal with heavily armed, aggrieved individuals seeking to avenge perceived slights to advance their political agenda," he said.

    "We also don't generally see individuals with access to an array of sophisticated weaponry or improvised explosive devices. This is a very peculiar case. It is also a very serious one."

    Gieschen pleaded guilty in November to possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of a weapon.

    During Gieschen's arrest in January 2014, police recovered firearms, body armour, possible bomb-making materials, schematics of a downtown Calgary skyscraper and a plan to attack the seventh-floor federal offices.

    Court was told that he had a beef with the military over coverage for multiple sclerosis he believed was caused by a flu shot he received while in the military.

    He was arrested after his wife called police because she was concerned that he might be suicidal. He was taken to hospital for treatment under the Mental Health Act.

    A victim's impact statement was read in court on behalf of the 26 employees of the Veterans Affairs office.

    "We struggle with nightmares and constant vigilance for fear of being a target," read security guard Michel Fay.

    "We ask the court to understand the enduring and significant impact this event has had on all of us and our families, and consider the gravity of this man's intention to attack an entire office of federal government employees."

    When he was arrested at his parents' rural home west of Calgary, Gieschen was dressed in camouflage pants and was sleeping with a duffel bag near his head.

    The bag contained a .40-calibre semi-automatic handgun that was loaded with a full magazine. Police also recovered a .308-calibre rifle, a ballistic range-finder scope for shooting long distances, a laser sight for shooting at close range, night-vision binoculars and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

    There were also jugs filled with chemicals, empty suitcases with metal linings, 16 black sticks with a protruding fuse, carpenter nails, threaded pipes and six tubes of camouflage face paint.

    At his sentencing hearing, Gieschen told the judge he took responsibility for his "irresponsible'' actions.

    Dunnigan said he believed the expression of remorse was sincere.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Train derailment plot 'very simple idea,' Via Rail terror trial hears

    Train derailment plot 'very simple idea,' Via Rail terror trial hears
    TORONTO — A plan to derail a train travelling between Canada and the U.S. was a "very simple" idea that would kill scores of people and pave the way for more acts of terrorism, the trial of two men accused in the alleged plot heard Tuesday.

    Train derailment plot 'very simple idea,' Via Rail terror trial hears

    Oil price plunge causes mixed results for East Coast workers, industries

    Oil price plunge causes mixed results for East Coast workers, industries
    SYDNEY, N.S. — John Gnatiuk has been using his earnings from Alberta's oilpatch to renovate his home in Sydney, N.S., and support local businesses in Cape Breton's ailing economy.

    Oil price plunge causes mixed results for East Coast workers, industries

    Malaysia's civil aviation chief makes recommendations to ICAO safety meeting

    Malaysia's civil aviation chief makes recommendations to ICAO safety meeting
    MONTREAL — Malaysia's civil aviation chief has used a high-level international safety conference in Montreal to call for change after two unprecedented tragedies involving his country's major airline last year.

    Malaysia's civil aviation chief makes recommendations to ICAO safety meeting

    Snow chokes Maritime city, emergency declared to clear clogged roads

    Snow chokes Maritime city, emergency declared to clear clogged roads
    SAINT JOHN, N.B. — A state of emergency has been declared in Saint John, N.B., after the third storm in less than a week dumped 29 centimetres of snow on the city overnight.

    Snow chokes Maritime city, emergency declared to clear clogged roads

    Suspect in Ponzi scheme makes own closing argument; says he has the truth

    Suspect in Ponzi scheme makes own closing argument; says he has the truth
    CALGARY — One of two men on trial for an alleged multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that police say bilked thousands of investors around the world of $400 million has delivered his own closing argument.

    Suspect in Ponzi scheme makes own closing argument; says he has the truth

    Escaped Saskatchewan prisoner who taunted police on Facebook back in jail

    Escaped Saskatchewan prisoner who taunted police on Facebook back in jail
    BLACK LAKE, Sask. — A 21-year-old man who taunted police on Facebook after he escaped custody in northern Saskatchewan is back in jail.

    Escaped Saskatchewan prisoner who taunted police on Facebook back in jail