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"Freedom Convoy" 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.
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 2022 "Freedom Convoy" protest which attracted thousands of demonstrators to Parliament Hill in 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.
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 which informed his verdict.
Hackland said there is no way at this stage in the trial to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Davis' allegations are linked directly to King.
Karimjee argued that it's been proven King is broadly responsible for the convoy and its effects on Ottawa residents.
He said he wants to see the community-based victim impact statements cited as aggravating factors in sentencing.
King's attorney Natasha Calvinho argued that if the Crown wants to use these statements as aggravating factors, they need 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.
Once Karimjee brought forward additional case law following a lunch break, Hackland said he would consider Davis' victim impact statement on the basis of it demonstrating the impact of the convoy protest on a vulnerable population, in this case, women fleeing abuse.
The hearing is scheduled to continue Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2025.
Comments
welcome to Naziland< Remember everything Hitler did was legal:
Today the world is witnessing when a peaceful protest with zero property damage, that united Canadians in love and pride and indeed the world, is being unfairly prosecuted fore the sole purpose to intimidating Canadians. This is NOT the Canada our forefathers sacrificed their lives to rid the world of Hitler, only to have Hitler rise again in the form of an unaccountable Oligarch criminal government that has broken law after law, and terrorized Canadians. Passing unconstitutional legislation, but whats shocking is much of it is passed in the dark of night with no debate, and sometimes with only pro-government members attending.
It reminds me of how Jesus was taken in the dark of night, found guilty by a biased government in the dark of night, found guilty for nothing more than spreading love and unity, then murdered in the most horrendous way.
there is no evidence other than the perjury testimony of a few cherry-picked liars that ANYONE was concerned for their safety. In fact, crime went down during the Convoy occupation, people were grateful for the convoy, both in Ottawa and all across Canada.
The Convoy was instrumental is having the COVID restrictions lifted. It was a time that I and many other Canadians were ashamed of our government that saw our family and many families hanging dark blankets over windows during Christmas to block out anyone who would report us for family gatherings bc the government arbitrarily passed a law to make family gatherings and even enjoying both indoor and outdoor activities illegal. This is a step backward to times reminiscent of Hard Communist governments in China and Russia during the 50's where people met in secret in underground Churches Illegal and where they could face prison if reported and found. Canada is quickly spiraling into a shocking Naziland while Chinese and Russians enjoy freedom and accountable government and a society in which there are no gangs crimes drugs, no homelessness, no hungry, and people are proud of their nation and what its become.
many of you may laugh at that statement, though one only needs to look at Quebec today, where it is illegal to wear religious symbols and public prayer.
the world is truly descending into dark times far darker than EVER before.
whats sad, is it WILL spiral into a physical war against the government in which people will have no choice, no way to use the courts, bc like good beef today, accessing the courts is not something Canadians can afford. What choice does the government leave Canadians when they constantly deny delay depose the reality many many Canadians are suffering at the hands of an unaccountable Oligarchy government that is INSTALLED in power via unlimited corporate lobbying?
UNLIMITED CORPORATE LOBBYING IS NOT DEMOCRACY. the evidence is undeniable, its self evident.
take this video for instance that sheds a light on the deep dark state within Canadian Government https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haZHqtSr5Jk