Sentencing starts for Freedom Convoy organizer Pat King

Deliberations began on Thursday regarding the sentencing of Pat King, the organizer of the Freedom Convoy, for his involvement in the disruptive protest that brought Ottawa to a standstill for over three weeks in early 2022. Justice Charles Hackland announced that he will determine the date for delivering his decision at a later time.

As part of the sentencing submissions, victim impact statements, a pre-sentencing report detailing King’s history, and a jailhouse interview conducted in July 2022 were included. Crown prosecutor Moiz Karimjee is advocating for a substantial penalty for King, who was convicted in November on five criminal charges, including two counts of disobeying a court order, mischief, counselling to commit mischief, and counselling to obstruct a public or peace officer. The charge of mischief carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Hackland highlighted that King personally led a large convoy and utilized his social media presence to plan and encourage disruptive activities. Evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that King’s social media videos documented his leadership and intentions before and during the protest. He directed truckers to ignore a court injunction against honking horns in the downtown area and organized a “slow roll” near the Ottawa International Airport, as well as assisted in blockading Wellington Street near Parliament Hill.

While King was acquitted of three intimidation-related charges, Hackland noted that there was no evidence of threats of violence or property damage. King’s lawyer, Natasha Calvinho, expressed disappointment with the decision but emphasized that his acquittal on the intimidation charges indicated that his intentions were not violent.

King’s arrest in February 2022, which was livestreamed on social media, garnered national attention. Following his arrest, he underwent a lengthy bail process during which he was detained due to concerns of potential re-offending. He was eventually released in July 2022 under strict conditions, including restrictions on his social media usage.

In August 2023, King was briefly incarcerated again for allegedly breaching his bail conditions but was later released under stricter restrictions. Thursday marked 1,064 days since King’s initial arrest, highlighting the prolonged legal proceedings surrounding his case.