Pat King guilty of 5 charges for his role in Freedom Convoy
CBC
Pat King, a key figure in what became the Freedom Convoy that paralyzed downtown Ottawa in early 2022, has been found guilty of five charges for his role in the protest.
Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland delivered his decision at the Ottawa Courthouse on Friday morning.
King has been found guilty of five charges: two counts of disobeying a court order and one each of mischief, counselling to commit mischief and counselling to obstruct a public or peace officer.
He's been found not guilty of four charges: three of intimidation and counselling to commit intimidation, and one of obstructing a public or peace officer.
King is expected to be sentenced Jan. 16, 2025.
Crown prosecutor Moiz Karimjee told the court he's seeking a significant penalty for King. A mischief conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
WATCH | Pat King guilty of 5 of 9 charges:
Over three weeks of testimony heard this spring and summer, King argued he was not guilty. The two sides had starkly different views on the role he played during the protests, however.
Central to the case was the question of leadership. While the Crown contended his influence was undeniable, leaning on extensive evidence from social media, King's defence argued he was not in control of the convoy.
His lawyer Natasha Calvinho argued police and government "barricaded" protesters in downtown Ottawa, preventing them from leaving the city. She also pointed to moments when King told supporters to remain peaceful and co-operate with authorities.
King's arrest in February 2022 made headlines when he was taken into custody live on social media. His bail process was also contentious.
After being kept in jail over concerns he would re-offend or violate his conditions, King was eventually released in July 2022 under strict terms including bans on using social media and organizing protests.
King's bail conditions again came into focus in August 2023 when he was briefly jailed for allegedly violating them. He denied the accusations, but was ordered back into custody before being released a week later under tighter restrictions.
The decision marks a pivotal moment in the legal aftermath of the Freedom Convoy, which drew international attention and led to the unprecedented invocation of the Emergencies Act by the federal government.
Newfoundland and Labrador's oldest resident has turned 109 but she can't put her finger on exactly what the secret to her longevity is.
There are at least six applications in northern Ontario to host Homelessness and Addictions Recovery Treatment (HART) hubs funded by the province.
Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston asked Nova Scotians on Thursday to be patient, saying his government's plan for health care, housing, and affordability is working — and that he needs a second term in office to see his vision through.
A continued decline in literacy scores among younger students, even as other grades improve, is a warning sign for the education system, according to New Brunswick's child, youth and seniors' advocate.
It's been a noisy week in Quebec politics.
A residents' group wants to make sure people who live in a core Winnipeg neighbourhood will have a voice on the location for a planned supervised consumption site, if the plan is to locate it in their area.
Health-care advocates are sounding the alarm on foot-care coverage in Saskatchewan, and launching several initiatives to raise awareness and provide services to those in need.
The starting gate is officially lifted on the race to be Edmonton's next mayor and council, with 13 people signed up to run in the 2025 fall municipal election as of Thursday afternoon.
A transit bus designated as a moving, overnight warming centre is unlikely to be on Hamilton streets this winter, after councillors voted unanimously Wednesday to replace the program – and other drop-ins at some recreation centres and libraries – with one 25-person overnight drop-in centre and additional permanent shelter beds.
"Taylor Swift, let me go to another show, please," says a sobbing fan in a TikTok video after attending one of Swift's widely popular Eras Tour shows.
Frustrated shop owners in Toronto's Yonge and Wellesley area say the city is refusing to pick up mounds of garbage that regularly accumulates in an adjacent laneway because it's private property — even though the laneway's last known owner died more than a century ago.