'Freedom Convoy' leader Pat King facing new charges
‘Freedom Convoy’ leader Pat King is facing several new charges in relation to his alleged role in the occupation of downtown Ottawa.
King and a co-accused, Tyson George Billings, are facing 10 charges, court heard Thursday.
The two men are charged with two counts each of intimidation and obstructing police. They are charged with one count each of mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to obstruct police, counselling to intimidation, disobeying a court order and counselling to disobey a court order.
Two other leaders of the convoy protest, Chris Barber and Tamara Lich, are also facing additional charges.
King, 44, has been in custody since his arrest on Feb. 18. He originally faced four charges.
King has appeared several times in court since he was denied bail last month, but his case has been put over because he still does not officially have a lawyer representing him.
Court has heard that prospective lawyers have had a hard time reaching him at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre.
“I understand that there’s been some extreme difficulties in being able to contact Mr. King at the detention centre,” said Cal Rosemond, a lawyer who represented King during his bail hearing but has not been officially retained.
At one point in Thursday’s hearing, King apologized for the delay.
“I apologize for all this nonsense,” he said.
Billings, King’s co-accused, is in custody at the Quinte Detention Centre in Napanee, Ont. court heard. He is scheduled to appear on Friday.
The three-week occupation of downtown Ottawa to protest COVID-19 public health measures and other grievances cost the city of Ottawa an estimated $36.6 million, the majority of which was for the police response.
King is due back in court on April 4.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.