Former city lawyer who vandalized National Holocaust Monument pleads guilty

By Canadian Press on July 25, 2025.

OTTAWA — A former City of Ottawa lawyer has pleaded guilty after defacing Canada’s National Holocaust Monument.

Iain Aspenlieder, 46, was charged last month with mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct.

He appeared in court Friday.

Aspenlieder’s lawyer Michael Spratt said his client pleaded guilty to one count of mischief for defacing the Holocaust memorial and has been released on bail.

Spratt said a sentencing hearing is expected sometime in the fall, with the date still to be determined.

On June 9, the words “FEED ME” were found scrawled in red paint across the face of the monument in downtown Ottawa, with red paint also splashed on other portions of the structure.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press