Defence continues cross-examining complainant at hockey players' sex assault trial

A woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team is facing more questions today on what happened at a downtown London, Ont., bar where she first encountered some of the accused.

The woman, who cannot be identified under a publication ban, has been on the stand since last Friday in the trial of Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote.

All five have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault, and McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault.

A defence lawyer for Formenton is cross-examining the woman today on the time she spent at Jack's bar on June 18, 2018, before leaving with McLeod to go to the hotel where he and his teammates were staying.

Court has heard McLeod and several other members of the 2018 world junior team went to the bar that night after attending a gala celebrating their championship victory.

The woman has testified that she and McLeod had sex in his hotel room, an encounter that is not part of the trial, and that she was naked and afraid when men she didn't know started coming into the room afterward.

She described going on "autopilot" and feeling like she was watching herself from outside her body as she engaged in sexual acts with the men.

The defence, meanwhile, has suggested the woman asked McLeod to call his friends into the room because she wanted a "wild night," and that she later invited the men to have sex with her.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne