Chris Carbert brought guns and body armour to the Coutts blockade, but says there was no plan for violence unless he had to perhaps flee to the mountains and fend off someone trying to give him a COVID-19 vaccine shot.

鈥淭here was no plan,鈥� Carbert told court Friday under questioning from his lawyer at his trial in Lethbridge.

鈥淲ere you involved in any sort of plan or agreement to attack police officers in Coutts?鈥� Carbert was asked by lawyer Katherin Beyak.

鈥淎bsolutely not,鈥� he said.

鈥淲hy would I have issue with police? They鈥檙e more or less kind of heroes in western culture.鈥�

Carbert and Anthony Olienick are on trial together in Court of King鈥檚 Bench accused of conspiring to murder police officers at the Coutts blockade.

The blockade at the U.S.-Alberta border point tied up traffic for two weeks in early 2022 to protest COVID restrictions, including vaccine mandates for truckers.

Carbert said he saw Coutts as an opportunity to get rid of the trucker vaccine mandates.

He said if that didn鈥檛 happen, things were not going to turn out good.

鈥淎nd what do you mean by not good?鈥� Beyak asked.

鈥淟ikely in violence,鈥� he said.

He admitted to bringing weapons with him to Coutts as well as modified body armour.

鈥淚t鈥檚 got multiple functions, obviously for hunting or heaven forbid for protection if it ever got to that,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 in there for the reason it鈥檚 in there, (such as) if I was heading to the mountains and they came all the way out there to give me a vaccination or something. Then perhaps.鈥�

Carbert was asked about a series of text messages he exchanged with his mother during the standoff.

One text message read, 鈥淢om, I am fine. If they start the violence, I am just telling you there will be war and casualties of war.鈥�

The text added, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you truly understand what this is for and about. If we lose here, I will likely die in war.鈥�

Beyak asked about the exchange.

鈥淲e had our differences and out in Coutts (Mom) kept asking me to go home,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 kept telling her, 鈥楴o, we鈥檙e not. I鈥檓 not leaving until the mandates are dropped.鈥欌��

All protesters left quickly and peacefully after police seized weapons near the blockade and made arrests.

Carbert and Olienick are also charged with mischief and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Olienick faces a further charge of possessing a pipe bomb.

The Crown has presented witness and physical evidence to argue that Olienick and Carbert were conspiring to kill police.

Officers seized weapons, body armour and ammunition in trailers near the blockade, along with a firearms licence in Carbert鈥檚 name.

They later located more weapons, buckets of ammunition and two pipe bombs at Olienick鈥檚 home.

Undercover officers have quoted Olienick telling them he considered Coutts the mission of a lifetime and if police tried to shut down the barricade he would 鈥渟lit their throats.鈥�

In a police interrogation video shown to the jury, Olienick is seen denying he targeted police but saying he feared an invasion by United Nations troops or Chinese communists.

The trial will resume Tuesday. The Crown will have an opportunity to cross-examine Carbert.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press