Monday, February 16, 2026
ADVT 
National

Defence lawyers continue submissions at hockey players' sex assault trial

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Jun, 2025 11:30 AM
  • Defence lawyers continue submissions at hockey players' sex assault trial

Defence lawyers for five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team are continuing to hammer at the credibility of the complainant as they make final submissions at the players' sexual assault trial.

A lawyer representing Alex Formenton is arguing that video evidence from the bar where the woman first encountered several of the players contradicts her testimony that she was plied with alcohol and separated from her friends, and that she was extremely intoxicated.

Daniel Brown has repeatedly argued the woman lied or embellished in her testimony, and that her account of what happened evolved over time.

Court heard submissions Monday from lawyers representing Michael McLeod and Carter Hart. 

McLeod's lawyer, David Humphrey, argued the complainant has presented an "entirely unbelievable and unreliable" version of the events at the heart of the trial.

McLeod, Hart, Formenton and their former teammates Dillon Dube and Callan Foote have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault

McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault.

The charges relate to an encounter with a woman in a London, Ont., hotel room in June 2018, at a time when many of the team's members were in town for events celebrating their championship win.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne

MORE National ARTICLES

Former PM Harper blasts Liberal leadership candidate Carney's economic record

Former PM Harper blasts Liberal leadership candidate Carney's economic record
Former prime minister Stephen Harper is taking shots at Liberal leadership frontrunner Mark Carney's economic record. Harper accuses Carney of taking unearned credit for steering the Canadian economy out of the global financial crisis more than 15 years ago.

Former PM Harper blasts Liberal leadership candidate Carney's economic record

Trudeau headed home from London after visiting King Charles, Europe security summit

Trudeau headed home from London after visiting King Charles, Europe security summit
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is headed back to Ottawa after ending his London visit with an audience with King Charles. Trudeau was in London for a weekend security summit — making Canada the only non-European nation represented in talks on how to ensure a possible Ukraine ceasefire actually holds.

Trudeau headed home from London after visiting King Charles, Europe security summit

Canada extending tax credit for investors in critical mineral exploration

Canada extending tax credit for investors in critical mineral exploration
The federal government is extending a tax break for those investing in critical mineral exploration. Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson made the announcement today at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention in Toronto.

Canada extending tax credit for investors in critical mineral exploration

Canada waiting to see if Trump starts North American trade war with steep tariffs

Canada waiting to see if Trump starts North American trade war with steep tariffs
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNN on Monday that he would be discussing the tariffs with Trump throughout the day. The billionaire financier said Canada and Mexico had done a good job on enhancing border security but more needed to be done to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl.

Canada waiting to see if Trump starts North American trade war with steep tariffs

CRTC delays implementation of next-generation 911 service for two years

CRTC delays implementation of next-generation 911 service for two years
Next-generation 911 service — which would allow Canadians to send texts or video to summon help — won’t be implemented for another two years. The CRTC had set Tuesday as the date for transitioning to next-generation 911 but the telecom regulator now says it has moved that deadline to March 2027.

CRTC delays implementation of next-generation 911 service for two years

"Nothing more than a distraction," says B.C. forest minister on Trump's lumber order

President Trump on Saturday signed a pair of actions to increase domestic lumber production, including appointing a directive for the Commerce Department to investigate the possible harms that lumber imports pose to national security.

"Nothing more than a distraction," says B.C. forest minister on Trump's lumber order