Judge to decide Friday on Pat King’s bail

Sault native Patrick King will remain in custody until Friday, when an Ottawa judge will decide whether he'll be released on bail.

CBC is reporting much of a bail hearing on Tuesday focussed on an Alberta woman who's pledged $50,000 to make sure King complies with his bail conditions.

Crown lawyer Moiz Karimjee pointed out that the woman, Kerry Komix, is known to be a supporter of King and the convoy protest he helped organize.

Allowing her to serve as King's surety would be like "one thief being tasked to supervise another burglar," Karimjee said.

A retired bus driver, Komix pledged half the value of her home towards King's bail even though she's only known him for four weeks.

King is facing four criminal charges related to his role in organizing the Ottawa protests: mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to disobey a court order and counselling to obstruct police.

At his bail hearing on Tuesday, CBC reported that court was told King has a criminal record including possession of narcotics and possession of proceeds from crime.

Videos were shown in which King appeared to be speaking disparagingly of other races, claiming the Anglo-Saxon race has "the strongest bloodlines" and referring to the prime minister catching "a bullet one day."

Earlier today, Tamara Lich, another convoy organizer, was denied bail by a judge who saw a substantial likelihood she will reoffend if released.

Lich will be back in court on March 2.

On Monday, the House of Commons voted to uphold the Liberal government's invoking of the Emergencies Act, allowing continued use of expanded powers aimed at ending the prolonged occupation of downtown Ottawa streets.

Businesses have started to re-open in downtown Ottawa after the final protesters were cleared from the area over the weekend.