A southwestern Ontario man already convicted of assaulting former prime minister Justin Trudeau has been charged anew for allegedly making online threats against Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Shane Marshall, 29, of St. Thomas, Ontario, appeared in Ontario Court of Justice on Friday facing a charge of uttering threats to cause death. Authorities say the charge relates to social media posts targeting Carney, though the specific content remains under a court-ordered publication ban. Marshall was arrested earlier that day by the RCMP and appeared in court wearing a safety vest and work attire.

During the hearing, Elgin County Crown attorney David Rows stated that the Crown had agreed to release Marshall on $5,000 no-deposit bail without the need for sureties. Justice of the Peace Frank Leddy imposed a series of strict conditions on his release. These include a prohibition on contacting or approaching Carney or any current federal or provincial legislators, with a mandated separation distance of at least 50 metres. Marshall is also restricted from entering Ottawa and is barred from possessing weapons or using social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X, WhatsApp, TikTok, and YouTube.

Marshall was released following the brief court appearance and is scheduled to return on July 7 for a disclosure update. The new charge has yet to be tested in court.

This is not Marshall’s first courtroom appearance linked to a sitting prime minister. He previously served as president of the People’s Party of Canada riding association in Elgin-Middlesex-London. In September 2021, Marshall was recorded throwing stones at Trudeau as the former prime minister boarded a campaign bus outside the London Brewing Co-operative during a federal election stop. Initially charged with assault with a weapon, Marshall later pleaded guilty in March 2023 to a reduced charge of simple assault after a higher court dismissed a defence attempt to subpoena Trudeau as a witness.

At that sentencing, Ontario Court Justice Kevin McHugh characterized the stone-throwing incident as a serious assault that could have caused injury. The judge noted that the act appeared intended to intimidate and discourage political participation rather than to express legitimate political opinion. Marshall was sentenced to 90 days of house arrest and one year of probation.