‘Freedom Convoy’ organizer Pat King given 3-month conditional sentence

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/02/2025 (207 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizer Pat King was sentenced to three months of house arrest in an Ottawa court this morning.

The sentence includes 100 hours of community service at a food bank or men’s shelter, and one year of probation.

It comes on top of nine months King spent in custody before and during his trial.

The ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizer was clearly pleased when he left the court house for a smoke break after his decision was read. King was met with hugs and cheers from a crowd of a few dozen friends, family members and supporters.

King did not comment after his sentencing due to bail conditions for outstanding perjury and obstruction of justice charges. His lawyer Natasha Calvinho called the sentencing “very balanced.”

“If Mr. King was sentenced to 10 years in jail, which is what the Crown was asking, they would have essentially been making him a political prisoner. They would have been sentencing Mr. King for the sum total of everything that was done by every individual in the Freedom Convoy,” Calvinho said.

King was found guilty on five of nine charges in November, including mischief and disobeying a court order, for his role in the 2022 protest that took over downtown Ottawa for three weeks.

Justice Charles Hackland said King must remain at his residence during his house arrest, except for time spent on court appointments and community service and three hours on Monday afternoons to “get necessities for life.”

Hackland also told King he must not return to Ottawa except for court appearances and must stay away from six other convoy leaders, including Tamara Lich and Chris Barber.

Crown prosecutor Moiz Karimjee called for the maximum sentence for mischief — 10 years — arguing this was “the worst case” of mischief.

Hackland disagreed, citing a lack of aggravating factors like protest actions specifically targeting vulnerable populations.

Hackland said the convoy protest could easily have degenerated into widespread violence and property damage and described King as a “positive influence” due to his repeated calls on social media for participants to remain non-violent.

The judge said King’s sentence needs to be in line with mischief sentences received by other convoy protest participants in Ottawa, Windsor, Ont. and Coutts, Alta. Most of those sentences ranged from three to six months.

Hackland said King held additional responsibility due to being a leadership figure in the protest, but not enough to warrant a long sentence.

King issued an apology for his role in the protest and its impact on the residents of Ottawa during the pre-sentencing hearing, which Hackland characterized as “emotional” and “sincere.”

Calvinho said King plans to serve his house arrest back home in Alberta.

Karimjee declined further comment after the sentencing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19, 2025.