Man guilty of one count in pride festival confrontations sentenced in London, Ont.

A man was arrested and charged with criminal offences after what London Police call a “large physical disturbance” during the Wortley Pride Festival on July 16, 2022. (Source: Jason Plant)

Richard Sillers, the man charged in connection with a clash during a Pride festival in old south London in July of 2022, was sentenced today to two years probation.

Earlier this year, Sillers, 37, was found guilty on one count of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, after he drove up to a Pride event during Drag Queen story time, and pulled out a Canadian flag on a stick, during a confrontation.

He was arrested at the scene and charged with two offences. He was acquitted on the second charge of causing a disturbance. 

After the court proceedings Monday, his lawyer, Luke Reidy, said they were not pleased with the decision.

“The decision today was, quite tough. The first part that was difficult is they found that his actions were motivated by hate, and that is a significant aggravating factor when it comes to the sentence,” explained Reidy.

The crown was looking for 90 days, but Reidy says they were looking for an absolute discharge.

“At the end, the judge found that incarceration was not appropriate under the circumstances, but gave him a sentence suspended for two years,” said Reidy.

Sillers was also handed down a weapons ban for five years.

“This is where it's quite difficult because in this case, the instrument that's been classified as a weapon is a flag,” continued Reidy. “But the ban isn't going to be addressing things like that. It's going to be looking at, weapons that are more, traditionally associated or identified as a weapon, such as, firearms, knives, things like that.”

Reidy said his client plans to appeal the decision.