In a Toronto courtroom, Robb MacDonald represented Matthew Althorpe at a sentencing hearing following guilty pleas to terrorism offences. Althorpe had admitted to producing recruitment material for the now-disbanded neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division and to writing racist manifestos that were cited by individuals who carried out real-world attacks.
MacDonald did not minimize the conduct, describing it in the starkest terms while making the case for a sentence in the range of 12 to 14 years against the Crown's request for 20. He urged the court to consider that his client was remorseful, had renounced his views, and had been drawn into extremism amid a difficult upbringing and undiagnosed mental health issues later identified by a forensic psychiatrist.
The hearing illustrated the defence lawyer's role even in cases involving abhorrent conduct: to ensure the court hears the full picture of an accused person and applies sentencing principles fairly. The presiding judge reserved her decision, with a ruling expected at a later date.