SUSSEX, N.B. - A provincial court judge who found a man guilty Thursday of threatening a New Brunswick teacher after he stopped the daily playing of O Canada in an elementary school says the accused was trying to intimidate and instill fear.

Bradley Howland was accused of uttering threats to cause serious harm to Erik Millett at Belleisle Elementary on Jan. 31, and saying that if the secretary wasn't there, he'd take him outside and beat him senseless over his handling of the anthem.

Outside court, Millett said the last few months have been an ordeal.

"I've been living under an extreme amount of stress and pressure as a result of all this," he said.

"I've had a full-fledged witch hunt mounted against me by a small number of people, but also federal politicians, and I have yet to receive an apology from any of the people who have attacked me, attacked my character, attacked my family."

The principal was at the centre of a national controversy after he decided to scale back the daily singing of the anthem to special events only. Millett made the change because two families objected to their children participating for religious reasons.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090723/national/crime_anthem_trial