OTTAWA –
The Crown is seeking to revoke the bail of Freedom Convoy leader Tamara Leach after she appeared with a fellow organizer in alleged breach of her conditions.
Leach was charged in February with abuse, obstructing police, counseling others to do evil and intimidation for her role in the mass protest against COVID-19 restrictions that shut down downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks.
She was released the following month with a long list of conditions, including an order not to communicate with key organizers of the convoy, including Tom Marazzo, and a ban on all social media except through a lawyer or in the presence of a lawyer.
Crown prosecutor Moise Karimji told an Ottawa court on Tuesday that Leach violated one of her conditions by being seen with Marazzo at a recent gala where she accepted an award for organizing the protest.
He argued that she should be detained.
Leach’s attorney, Lawrence Greenspon, said he would challenge Leach’s bail revocation and seek her release on conditions.
Ottawa police Det. Chris Benson, who is leading Leach’s case, told the court he had viewed a video of Leach and Marrazzo appearing together at the awards gala.
Greenspon asked Benson if he knew of any other evidence that Leach and Marrazzo communicated before or after the brief interaction in the video, which happened for “less than three seconds.”
He asked the detective if he knew there were any attorneys present from the Justice Center for Constitutional Liberties, some of whom were acting as her civil attorneys.
Benson said he believes a photo of Leach, Marrazzo and others posing together at the awards ceremony shows she violated her terms by being physically close to him.
Leach watched the hearing remotely from a detention center in Ontario, watching by video conference and listening on a cell phone, her blonde hair pulled back in a high bun.
Both Marrazo and Leach were key speakers at the winter protest against COVID-19 restrictions and the federal government. Marazzo is also a leader of a group called Veterans 4 Freedom, which organized several rallies in Ottawa over the Canada Day weekend.
Police sought an arrest warrant in Canada for Lich for the alleged breach of bail conditions, and she was arrested last week in Medicine Hat, Alta., where she lives.
Benson said he oversaw the transportation of Leach from Alberta to Ottawa after she was arrested.
Leach is charged for her role in “Freedom Convoy” along with co-defendant Chris Barber, who remains free on bail.
On Tuesday morning, Barber’s attorney was barred from releasing court documents showing Barber’s cellphone communications, except those with Leach.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 5, 2022.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of Meta and the Canadian Press News Fellowship.
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