Pat King guilty of 5 charges for his role in Freedom Convoy
Accused convoy leader stood trial in Ottawa earlier this year
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.
In his decision, Hackland found King "personally led a large convoy" and was an "active participant" with supporters in disrupting Ottawa services, bringing the "core of the city to a stand still."
The court ruled that social media videos posted by King, presented as evidence, showed his involvement in planning the protests from January 2022 until his arrest on Feb. 18, 2022.
"His participation, and indeed his organizational and leadership activities are extensively documented in Mr. King's own social media in the form of videos made exhibits of this trial," Hackland told the court, saying the videos provided considerable insight into King's intentions, role and personal conduct before and after the convoy.
King's presence and purpose at the protests made him liable for his criminal acts, Hackland said.
"Mr. King's status as a recognized Freedom Convoy organizer and leader increased the risk that he would be listened to," he added.
The court found King distributed cash to truckers in Ottawa who requested it and "as the days wore on he [King] adopted more aggressive rhetoric."
- Crown, defence spar over takeaways from Pat King videos
- Crown lays out arguments as Pat King goes to trial on conduct during 2022 convoy protest
Posts shown in court featured King directing truckers to blare their horns despite a court injunction banning it in Ottawa's downtown.
Another video showed King helping trucks block Wellington Street and telling supporters to sit down if police tried to move in.
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.
The judge did not convict King on three intimidation-related charges, finding that King "did not make threats of violence or threats of property damage to anyone."
Calvinho said her and King were "obviously disappointed" and they would be preparing for sentencing. She pointed to the acquittal of the intimidation charges as a "good takeaway" because it demonstrated her client's intentions were peaceful, not violent.
"He was convicted of a couple counts of mischief for his social media posts, as the judge found, and we'll continue to fight another day," she said.
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. He has another trial scheduled for charges of perjury and obstruction of justice picked up during one of those bail proceedings.
The convictions mark 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.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
