Ottawa, ON – The man accused of defacing the National Holocaust Memorial with red paint earlier this month has been denied bail and will remain in custody. Iain Aspenlieder, 46, a former city lawyer, appeared in court Wednesday morning for his bail hearing, where Justice of the Peace Stephen Dibblee rendered the decision.
Aspenlieder’s next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9.
The monument, located at 1918 Chaudière Crossing, was vandalized on June 9. Aspenlieder faces charges of mischief to a war monument, mischief exceeding $5,000, and harassment by threatening conduct in connection with the incident.
Due to a publication ban, details surrounding the decision to deny bail cannot be released.
The denial of bail follows the City of Ottawa’s confirmation last Sunday that Aspenlieder had been fired from his job as a lawyer. At the time of the vandalism, he was reportedly on leave. According to the Ontario Sunshine List, Aspenlieder’s annual salary was $146,000.
In a previous statement to the Ottawa Citizen, interim city solicitor Stuart Huxley condemned the act and confirmed Aspenlieder’s employment status:
“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.”
The vandalism has been met with strong condemnation from community leaders. Lawrence Greenspon, co-chair of the National Holocaust Monument Committee, previously told the Ottawa Citizen that the act 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 perished in a concentration camp.
