The man accused of defacing the Old City Hall Cenotaph, says he did it in part because of Don Cherry’s firing.Thomas Zaugg is charged with mischief under $5,000 and mischief interfering with lawful enjoyment of property for allegedly vandalizing the cenotaph with spray paint hours after it was the site of a downtown Remembrance Day ceremony.The 33-year-old appeared at Old City Hall Court Friday morning and was released on $750 bail, with no deposit, to a surety with the condition that he see a doctor within seven days and undergo any mental health treatment they recommend.He also has to work with the Fred Victor Centre, a charitable social service organization. And he’s not allowed to get near the Old City Hall Cenotaph, except for court dates, or posses any paint.The cenotaph, which honours those who died in both World Wars and the Korean War, was vandalized with dark blue spray-painted letters sometime between 10 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday, when police first received reports of the damage. The words “ye broke faith” could be seen written in capital letters across the bottom of the monument on Tuesday morning, behind wreaths that had been placed at the base for the previous day’s service. The words “with us” could be seen on the backside of the monument.The graffiti was removed a few hours later.In court Friday, Zaugg refused the publication ban on evidence that is typically applied at bail hearings, saying it was a “transparent attempt at censorship.”He appeared in the prisoner’s box wearing a brown jacket, navy blue hoodie and T-shirt and grey sweat pants. He refused duty counsel and defiantly told the court he wanted to represent himself.The Crown prosecutor said she has concerns about his mental health, saying he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is not taking medication.Zaugg, she alleged, dressed in a “white military-style sniper suit” to blend in with the snow as he spray ...
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