Published Jan 16, 2025 • Last updated 6 hours ago • 2 minute read
Convoy protest organizer Pat King’s sentencing hearing is underway, but a decision is still weeks away, according to the presiding judge.
In November, Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland in Ottawa found King guilty on five counts, including mischief and disobeying a court order.
He was found not guilty on three counts of intimidation and one of obstructing police.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.
- Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.
- Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
- Support local journalism.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.
- Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.
- Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
- Support local journalism.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
- Enjoy additional articles per month
- Get email updates from your favourite authors
Sign In or Create an Account
or
Article content
King could be facing as much as a decade in prison and the Crown is pushing for significant time behind bars.
His defence wants the sentence limited to time served and probation.
King was one of the most prominent figures in the convoy protest that attracted thousands of demonstrators to Parliament Hill in late January 2022, fighting against public-health restrictions, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the federal government.
The event gridlocked downtown streets around Parliament Hill, with area residents complaining about the fumes from diesel engines running non-stop and unrelenting noise from constant honking of horns and music parties.
Crown prosecutor Moiz Karimjee began the sentencing hearing with a community-based victim impact statement from Sarah Davis, executive director of the emergency shelter Cornerstone Housing for Women.
Davis described the convoy protest’s effect on residents at the shelter — many of them women fleeing domestic violence. She said residents lost sleep due to protest participants honking their truck horns and felt unsafe when leaving the shelter.
Article content
Davis said that, after convoy participants entered the shelter at one point during the protest, the shelter had to hire security.
After Davis’s testimony, Hackland asked Karimjee why she hadn’t been called as a witness during the trial. The judge described the testimony as similar to that of a downtown resident that informed his verdict.
Hackland said there was no way at this stage in the trial to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Davis’ allegations were linked directly to King.
Karimjee argued that it had been proven King was broadly responsible for the convoy and its effects on Ottawa residents.
He said he wanted to see the community-based victim impact statements cited as aggravating factors in sentencing.
King’s lawyer, Natasha Calvinho, argued that if the Crown wanted to use these statements as aggravating factors, they needed to be called as evidence.
After a lengthy back-and-forth on the issue, Hackland suggested that the Crown proceed with victim impact submissions and said the defence would be given an opportunity to object.
The hearing was scheduled to continue Friday.
Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletter