Convoy organizer Pat King guilty of intimidation, Appeal Court rules

The Ontario Court of Appeal has found "Freedom Convoy" organizer Pat King guilty of intimidation, reversing a prior acquittal on that specific charge. The ruling necessitates a new sentencing hearing for King, who was initially convicted on multiple other offenses related to the 2022 protest.

King had faced charges including mischief, counselling mischief, and disobeying a court order, for which he received a 12-month conditional sentence. However, he was acquitted of intimidation counts at his original trial. The appeal court judges determined that the trial judge had erred in law, leading to their decision to convict King on one count of intimidation.

In their written ruling, the three-judge panel characterized the "Freedom Convoy" demonstration as a "co-ordinated, targeted attack on Ottawa residents aimed at coercing change through highly disruptive criminal conduct." The protest gridlocked much of downtown Ottawa for over three weeks in February 2022.

This appellate decision significantly alters the legal standing of King's involvement in the convoy, emphasizing the court's view of the protest's nature and impact on the city and its residents.

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a co-ordinated, targeted attack on Ottawa residents aimed at coercing change through highly disruptive criminal conduct.