John Nuttall and Amanda Korody were two losers who needed help, but the RCMP gave them the wrong kind of help and wasted huge amounts of police resources and public money in the process.
The two were arrested on Canada Day 2013, and charged with multiple terrorism-related offences after planting what they believed were pressure-cooker bombs on the B.C. legislature grounds. A jury found them guilty in June 2015 of three terrorism-related charges, but B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Bruce delayed registering the convictions at the request of defence lawyers, who argued the Mounties had entrapped their clients.
On Friday, Bruce ruled that Nuttall and Korody were indeed entrapped, and said that without the help of the police, the two could not have carried out their bomb plot. Her decision will mean a stay of proceedings. It’s not the same as an acquittal, but it means the two go free. The Crown has appealed.
It would be wrong to minimize the threat of terrorism; the killings in Nice show what one angry, unbalanced person can do. It would be naïve to assume it couldn’t happen here. And it’s a credit to the RCMP that they learned of Nuttall’s desire to become a terrorist and set out to learn how far he would go.
It’s how far the police went that is the problem. Evidence presented at the couple’s trial plainly showed clear thinking and effective planning were not their strong point. Nuttall proposed a plan to hijack a Via Rail passenger train — the rail service ceased operations in 2011. Other plots included hijacking a nuclear submarine and storming CFB Esquimalt.
It took the extensive help of undercover officers to cook up the bomb plot. Police helped the pair build the bombs, ensuring they would not explode.
It’s also clear Nuttall is a dangerous person. His criminal record includes serious assaults and drug dealing.
But surely, early in the game, police could have ascertained the couple meant harm and could have presented sufficient evidence for charges that would have taken them off the streets. Justice would have been served, public safety would have been protected and two drug-addled persons could have received the help they needed.
Police pursuit of the sting operation ran up the bills — the total cost of the operation has not been revealed, but 240 officers were involved and overtime alone cost $900,000.
The public’s perception of the RCMP has taken a lot of hits recently. Issues include the death of a Polish immigrant who was tasered by officers at Vancouver International Airport in 2007, the subsequent perjury charges against some of the officers involved and a culture of misogyny and sexual harassment within the force. Winning a major terrorism case would have helped shine the RCMP’s image.
But the Nuttall and Korody case further erodes public trust in the RCMP. It can rightly be wondered what was neglected when so many resources and officers were devoted to this operation.
It also complicates life for dedicated police officers who work diligently in understaffed detachments, trying to juggle increasing workloads and constrained resources.
Spare no pity for Nuttall and Korody — they intended harm. And police — particularly those who work undercover — need a free hand to thwart and solve crimes, but there must be a limit. This operation seemed out of control and lacking oversight.
Someone needs to be held accountable for this colossal waste so we’re not stuck with more massive bills in the future.
