The lawyers for Coutts Four members Chris Carbert and Anthony Olienick said the outcome of their case was expected. Carbert’s lawyer Katherin Beyak said she thinks it was the right result for he and Olienick to be found not guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. “Obviously that was how we felt from the get go,” said Beyak in a Wednesday interview. “While some things may have been said that were open to misinterpretation, there was never an intention on the part of anyone to harm much less murder police officers.” As the case relates to Carbert, he and Beyak had asked for him to be found guilty of mischief. This is because he was doing actions to keep the Coutts Border Blockade going. When it comes to the possession of a weapon charge, she said she remains puzzled about the conviction. She does not have many thoughts on this charge. She predicted Carbert will be sentenced to time served, but that remains to be seen. The judge will have to determine the facts the jury used that led it to find he and Olienick guilty. While they have spent more than 900 days in jail, she said it is typical for people accused of these crimes to be held this long because of the nature of the charges. Since they were found not guilty of the conspiracy to commit murder charge, she said it puts an urgency into the sentencing process. She said the tactics the police used in this case should leave people concerned. Police officers had used emergency wire tap provisions in the Criminal Code of Canada that did not abide by the timeframes and had executed an improper search warrant. When people are convicted of crimes, Beyak said punishments have to go along with that. In terms of serving any further purpose or trying to deter Carbert from not getting involved in the justice system, she said these objectives have been served. “I suspect he’s learned a lesson about what to say and not say,” she said. Olienick’s lawyer Marilyn Burns pointed out this verdict complements Coutts Four members Chris Lysak and Jerry Morin taking a plea deal and being found not guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. “I began working on this file in February of 2024, and very quickly I could see there was no evidence these two had conspired to murder RCMP officers,” said Burns. Burns said she was unsurprised about Carbert and Olienick being found guilty of mischief, as everyone from the Coutts Border Blockade charged with it has received a similar outcome. She said it was Olienick’s view to bring on the mischief charge rather than plead guilty because he had waited two-and-a-half years for a trial. While he was found guilty of posession of an explosive, she said the ones he had were from a sandstone excavating business and were tiny. She said this sentence will be short. Since they waited more than 900 days in jail, she alleged there was an ulterior motive. She declined to speak about this motive because the sentencing is coming up. She said the civil liberties implications with this case stem from the Emergencies Act. What occurred with the Coutts Four was put forward as justification for the Emergencies Act. The lawyer went on to say he would not get time served, as he has been in jail for longer than his sentence would be. However, she said she expects him to be let out by late August. Burns said this case has changed history. Truckers had begun protesting against COVID-19 restrictions in Canada, and the protests spread around the world. “I would say it’s arguable that in February 2022, particularly under Justin Trudeau, our historical system was in jeopardy,” she said. “This trial for those who are political analytical thinkers, those in law enforcement leadership, those in the judicial system leadership, really need to take a careful look at what went wrong, and I am going to suggest there needs to be a public inquiry of what happened here.” Carbert and Olienick had been found not guilty of conspiring to kill RCMP officers on Friday. READ MORE: UPDATED: Two Coutts Four members not guilty of conspiracy to murder RCMP officersHowever, they were found guilty of mischief to property and possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes. “Tony Olienick has also been found guilty of possessing an explosive,” said Coutts Trio member Marco Van Huigenbos.
