'An attack on the rule of law:' Convoy protest leader Pat King denied bail
Pat King, one of the leaders of the 'Freedom Convoy' protest in Ottawa, has been denied bail.
In his ruling, Justice of the Peace Andrew Seymour said the evidence of King's participation and leadership role in the protest is "overwhelming," calling his alleged offences “an attack on the rule of law.”
King, 44, was among the most visible leaders of the three-week occupation. He faces charges of mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobeying a court order and counselling to obstruct police.
He was arrested last Friday in Ottawa, which he captured on a Facebook livestream, and has been in custody since.
Seymour said he believed there is a substantial likelihood King would commit offences similar to the ones he's accused of if he were released from custody.
Seymour called the evidence of King's leadership and participation in the convoy "overwhelming," citing his videos on social media before and during the occupation.
"That evidence paints a portrait of an individual who has clear intention to continue his protests and is indifferent to the consequences," he ruled.
He also questioned the credibility of King's proposed surety, Kerry Komix, who met King four weeks ago while accompanying him to Ottawa for the protest. Komix pledged $50,000 to guarantee King's bail, saying he would live in a spare room of her Alberta home and wear an electronic tracking bracelet.
But Seymour noted that King was accepting no financial risk of his own were he to breach his conditions.
In a thorough 15-page ruling, Seymour also laid out the impact of the convoy protests on downtown residents, saying it caused "significant distress" and calling the occupation of Ottawa's downtown core "unprecedented in Canadian history."
"The impact of what can only be described as an occupation was significant and widespread," he said. "It shook Ottawans and Canadians' faith in institutions such as government and the police to protect them. The alleged offences are extraordinarly serious.
"In short, it is an overwhelming case."
King is due back in court on March 18. He was also forbidden from communicating with other convoy organizers, including Chris Barber and Tamara Lich.
Lich was denied bail on Tuesday by an Ontario court judge. She remains in custody.
Earlier on Friday, the Crown applied to reopen the bail hearing to present new evidence about King's alleged purchase of a handgun while out on bail on a previous charge in 2016.
However, Seymour denied that application, saying the potential unfairness and delay that would result from reopening the hearing outweighed the potential value of the material.
You can read Justice of the Peace Seymour's full ruling below.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.