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 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

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Most passengers injured in Pearson airport plane crash released from hospital: Delta

Delta Air Lines says all but two passengers injured Monday when a plane crashed and flipped on the tarmac at Toronto's Pearson airport have been released from hospitals as of this morning. Delta says in a social media post that 19 out of 21 passengers initially taken to Toronto-area hospitals have since been released as the investigation into the cause of the crash continues.

Most passengers injured in Pearson airport plane crash released from hospital: Delta

B.C. Labour Relations Board finds Starbucks made threats against pro-union employee

The B.C. Labour Relations Board has found Starbucks wrongfully made "threats of adverse consequences" against an employee for her unionization activity, but found the company had a "legitimate business reason" to close down its only unionized location in Vancouver.

B.C. Labour Relations Board finds Starbucks made threats against pro-union employee

Flu activity in B.C. peaking as COVID-19, respiratory virus decline

The BC Centre for Disease Control says influenza A infections remain high and continue to increase, with the percentage of tests returning positive up to 24 per cent in the week ending Feb. 1. That figure is more than double that of the 11.7 per cent reported between Dec. 22 and Dec. 28.

Flu activity in B.C. peaking as COVID-19, respiratory virus decline

Workers at B.C. LifeLabs file 72-hour strike notice over wages, benefits

The union representing about 1,200 workers at LifeLabs throughout British Columbia says it has issued a 72-hour strike notice to the employer. The B.C. General Employees' Union says in a news release that the action comes after months of negotiations and LifeLabs' refusal to bring wages and benefits in line with the cost of living.

Workers at B.C. LifeLabs file 72-hour strike notice over wages, benefits

Canada still top of mind for Trump, 'not a good place to be'

As President Donald Trump signed an executive order for reciprocal tariffs on Thursday that escalates his trade threats, his administration took aim at Canada's digital services tax as a major trade irritant. The White House sent out a document calling digital taxes in both Canada and France "unfair" for taxing American companies.

Canada still top of mind for Trump, 'not a good place to be'

B.C. cancels $1,000 grocery rebate and pauses some hiring over Trump's tariff threats

The British Columbia government is cancelling a promised $1,000 grocery rebate and will freeze hiring of some public service positions to "find dollars" in its budget as it prepares for "four years of unpredictability" from the United States, Finance Minister Brenda Bailey says. Bailey said Thursday that the impacts of the "reckless" and "destabilizing" tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump are impossible to predict.