Tamara Lich stays in prison as choice on alleged bail breach anticipated Friday

Tamara Lich will stay in prison till a minimum of Friday, when a justice of the peace is about to percentage his choice on whether or not she breached her bail stipulations by way of showing along a fellow Freedom Convoy chief at an awards gala in June.

Lich gave the impression just about in an Ottawa court docket Tuesday for her fourth bail listening to since she used to be first arrested in February.

Crown prosecutor Moiz Karimjee mentioned a photograph and video appearing Lich on the Toronto gala, posing with, and in short chatting with, Tom Marazzo have been a “flagrant” breach. He argued Lich must be detained.

However defence attorney Lawrence Greenspon mentioned Lich’s movements have been “minimalist at worst” and did not quantity to a contravention, so she must be launched with stipulations.

Lich used to be taken into custody in Medication Hat, Alta., on June 27 after Ottawa police issued a Canada-wide warrant for her arrest.

She faces fees of mischief, counselling mischief, obstructing police, counselling to hinder police, counselling intimidation, and intimidation by way of blockading and obstructing a number of highways on the subject of the protest that close down portions of Ottawa for more or less 3 weeks this previous iciness.

On Tuesday, Greenspon argued the time Lich has spent in custody since she used to be arrested “some distance exceeds the seriousness” of her behavior.

“She’s spent 9 days in prison till now for a congratulatory change and for posing in a photograph with any person she used to be now not intended to keep up a correspondence with,” he mentioned.

The precise wording of Lich’s bail stipulations have been mentioned at period all over the listening to. They dictate she can’t touch or keep in touch by any means, by way of any bodily, digital or some other method, with an inventory of other folks related to the convoy — together with Marazzo — excluding thru recommend or the presence of recommend.

Det. Chris Benson, lead investigator within the case, advised the court docket Tuesday that police gained “more than one court cases” Lich used to be allegedly breaching her bail stipulations on the rite in Toronto on June 16.

Court docket used to be proven a video the place Lich may well be noticed talking with Marazzo for more or less 3 seconds.

“Indisputably you are now not going to indicate … the touch that is referred to there’s bodily touch,” Greenspon mentioned to Benson, arguing the stipulations referred to verbal exchange.

“They are provide, in combination, and it is bodily touch,” the detective spoke back. “If they are in the similar room socializing, that comes with that.”

Greenspon mentioned police cannot listen what she mentioned to Marazzo within the video. He additionally pressed the detective on whether or not he may determine attorneys with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), which put at the tournament.

Benson mentioned he may now not, including he used to be now not conscious about any of Lich’s attorneys being within the video or picture taken that very same night time.

“She’s sitting at a desk with Mr. Marazzo at a social tournament, a gala. This isn’t a attorney’s place of work, this isn’t a boardroom,” mentioned Benson, explaining the foundation for the warrant for her arrest.

“She’s then photographed later that night time with Mr. Marazzo, arm in arm.”

‘Approach to gridlock the town’

A textual content message from Lich to Chris Barber, any other convoy organizer, which used to be got thru a police seek of his cellular phone, used to be additionally learn out all over the listening to.

“Superior. Command Centre simply known as. Are you able to head over there with me quickly,” reads the message despatched on Jan. 30. “They have got a approach to gridlock the town. I do not need to make the ones choices by myself.”

Greenspon, Lich’s attorney, argued it is not transparent who “they” in that message refers to, including it does not say it used to be Lich’s technique.

Karimjee reached a distinct conclusion and described the textual content because the “CN Tower” of his case and announcing it displays Lich “is a choice maker within the command centre.”