Kevin J. Johnston released on bail in Calgary after trying to flee to U.S.

Kevin J. Johnston has been released on bail and is moving to Edmonton.

The disgraced former mayoral candidate in Calgary was caught by American authorities earlier this month trying to flee to the United States after failing to show up to serve jail sentences in Alberta and Ontario.

On Tuesday, he was released to a friend who lives in Edmonton and must comply with conditions, including house arrest. He is also not allowed to be on the internet.

"Mr. Johnston is a handful," said prosecutor Peter Mackenzie in his submissions on Tuesday, referring to the accused's history of failing to comply with release conditions.

In the last year, Johnston has been convicted of hate crimes, three counts of contempt, criminal harassment of an AHS employee and causing a disturbance at a downtown Calgary mall when he refused to wear a mask.

Johnston has been in custody since his arrest in Montana two weeks ago, which means he has since served the remaining four days on his Alberta contempt sentence but is still facing 18 months in jail in Ontario.

"Mr. Johnston does not respect traditional authority," said Mackenzie.

"He does not respect the courts, he does not respect police, he does not respect elections officials, he does not respect probation orders."

Mackenzie wasn't opposed to Johnston's release — pointing out the courts were "fast getting to point where he'd have done more remand time than he'd get if he was convicted" — but asked strict conditions be imposed.

On Tuesday, provincial court Judge Heather Lamoureux agreed to release Johnston pending his charge of being unlawfully at large.

He will live in Edmonton with his friend of one year, Andrew Lineker, who also put up $2,500 to secure Johnston's release. 

"We're pretty much joined at the hips," said Lineker when asked about monitoring Johnston. "I would not let Mr. Johnston out of my sight."

Defence lawyer Ian McCuaig tried to fight the no-internet condition for his client, who he argued has "aspirations to trade in bitcoin."

But Mackenzie pointed out that Johnston would not be able to pursue business interests had he shown up to serve his 18-month Ontario sentence as was legally required for him to do on Jan. 4.