Sentencing hearing held for ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizer Pat King

Pat King walks into the Ottawa Courthouse on Thursday, Jan. 16. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)

Supporters wished Pat King “good luck” as he entered the Ottawa courthouse Thursday morning, as one of the organizers of the ‘Freedom Convoy’ attended a sentencing hearing.

In November, King was found guilty on five criminal charges, including mischief, counselling to commit mischief and counselling others to obstruct police. He was found not guilty on three counts of intimidation and one count of obstructing police.

King was expected to be sentenced, but Justice Charles Hackland said sentencing submissions will be presented Thursday, with a decision delivered within a few weeks.

As King walked into court, one person yelled, “freedom.”

The Crown is asking for King to be sentenced to 10 years in prison. The defence is arguing for time served and probation.

Court heard a community impact statement from someone who did not testify during trial about how the convoy affected them—information the Crown said it wanted to present as an aggravating factor to support a lengthy period of incarceration. The defence took issue with that and said the statement shouldn’t be taken as evidence since the person did not testify and therefore was not cross-examined.

In January 2022, thousands of demonstrators attended the “Freedom Convoy” on Parliament Hill and in downtown Ottawa, protesting the federal government, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and public-health restrictions imposed by the government during the pandemic.

The Crown alleged King was a protest leader who was instrumental to the disruption the protest caused in downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks. The Crown alleged King co-ordinated the vehicle honking and told people to “hold the line” when he was aware police and the City of Ottawa had asked the protesters to leave.

King was arrested in Ottawa in February 2022.

With files from The Canadian Press