Pat King, a key figure in what became the Freedom Convoy protest that paralyzed downtown Ottawa in early 2022, has been found guilty of most charges against him for his role.
Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland is delivering his decision at the Ottawa Courthouse Friday.
King has been found guilty of five charges including mischief, counselling to commit mischief and disobeying a court order.
He’s been found not guilty of three charges: intimidation, counselling to commit intimidation and obstructing a public or peace officer.
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.
