Pair found guilty of hate crimes for graffiti outside Hamilton synagogue

Two men who scrawled anti-Semitic graffiti in chalk outside Hamilton's Beth Jacob Synagogue in the fall of 2019 have been found guilty of hate crimes by Justice Bernd Zabel.

Liam Greaves and Blake Trautman, who were 19 at the time of the incident, were charged by police with mischief in relation to property ... with damages not exceeding $5,000."

But it was the content of the messages, and where they were drawn, that convinced the judge to accept arguments from assistant-Crown attorney Clare Hopkins that the convictions be elevated to hate crimes.

Court heard Wednesday morning via Zoom the facts of the case, agreed upon by the Crown and defence: Greaves, Trautman and two friends drank alcohol on a Friday night - Oct. 4, 2019 - at Trautman's home. While walking to a pool hall, the group paused in the parking lot of the synagogue on Aberdeen Avenue for about 90 seconds, as Greaves wrote the word Jews" with a line through it in red chalk, and Trautman a swastika in yellow chalk.

And then, on nearby Kent Street, another in the group wrote sign heil" (misspelling a phrase associated with Nazism), while Greaves wrote a message attacking the Black community.

Synagogue employees arrived the next day before a morning service and saw the graffiti. The Hamilton police hate crime unit investigated. Synagogue security cameras had recorded the incident, but the men remained at large until Oct. 9, when one of the group gave police all of their names.

On Oct. 10, Greaves and Trautman reported to the Central police station and admitted drawing the graffiti. In court they said it had been intended as a joke" that would shock people ... to get a reaction" and make their friends laugh.

The judge said he rejected their argument, and said the pair drew the messages motivated by their animus based on religion and race toward the Jewish members of that house of worship." He found them guilty on two counts of mischief, adding that each count be registered as a hate crime as requested by the Crown."

Sentencing is Aug. 11 and, in the meantime, Hopkins said she will gather victim impact statements from community members.

The sentence for mischief when aggravated by a hate crime designation ranges from a conditional discharge to a jail term.

Jon Wells is a Hamilton-based reporter and feature writer for The Spectator. Reach him via email: jwells@thespec.com