Man accused of vandalizing Ottawa Holocaust memorial denied bail
Iain Aspenlieder will remain in custody until his next court date which is scheduled for July 9.
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A former city lawyer who was accused of vandalizing a Holocaust memorial with red paint earlier this month has been denied bail after a hearing on Wednesday morning.
The monument, located at 1918 Chaudière Crossing, was painted with the words “FEED ME” in large block letters on the side adjacent to Wellington Street on June 9. Red paint was also painted on the memorial’s facade.
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Iain Aspenlieder, 46, has been charged with mischief to a war monument, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct in relation to the incident.
He will remain in custody until his next court date, which is scheduled for July 9, according to Justice of the Peace Stephen Dibblee, who rendered the decision.
Details behind the decision cannot be published due to a publication ban.
This comes after the City of Ottawa confirmed that Aspenlieder had been fired from his job as a lawyer last Sunday. According to the Ontario Sunshine List, Aspenlieder was making $146,000 a year.
In a previous statement to the Ottawa Citizen, interim city solicitor Stuart Huxley said Aspenlieder was on leave when the incident occurred.
“The recent act affecting the National Holocaust monument was deplorable and is counter to the values we seek to uphold in our community. We extend our deepest sympathies to members of our community impacted by this disgraceful act,” Huxley wrote.
“The City can confirm that the individual implicated in this act was on leave at the time of the incident and is no longer employed by the City. As the matter is the subject of a police investigation and is before the courts, the City will provide no further comment.”
Lawrence Greenspon, co-chair of the National Holocaust Monument Committee, previously told the Ottawa Citizen that the vandalism made him “feel sick.”
“This is the ultimate act of hatred at the National Holocaust Memorial,” said Greenspon, whose daughter was named after his aunt who died in a concentration camp.
With files from Joanne Laucius
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