Tuesday, February 17, 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

More child care spaces in Powell River

More child care spaces in Powell River
Another 28 child care spaces have opened up for children in Powell River. A statement from B-C's Education Ministry says the spaces at Kelly Creek Community school include a dozen for children younger than three years of age, as well as 16 spots for children aged three to five.

More child care spaces in Powell River

Winter storm warning for Yukon

Winter storm warning for Yukon
Environment Canada has issued a winter storm warning for Yukon's South Klondike Highway from Carcross to White Pass. The weather office says the area will see heavy snow with accumulation between 20 and 30 centimetres before conditions are expected to ease tomorrow morning.

Winter storm warning for Yukon

Former Calgary councillor accused of lying on travel expenses guilty of fraud

Former Calgary councillor accused of lying on travel expenses guilty of fraud
While serving as Calgary city councillor, Joe Magliocca claimed he was hosting and meeting with politicians across the country -- including a Quebec cabinet minister, Ontario's NDP leader and the mayor of Halifax.  But they testified they had never met him.

Former Calgary councillor accused of lying on travel expenses guilty of fraud

Arya says he's out of Liberal leadership race, as Carney gets more caucus support

Arya says he's out of Liberal leadership race, as Carney gets more caucus support
One of the seven Liberal leadership hopefuls says the party is not allowing him to run, as another high-profile cabinet minister endorsed Mark Carney on Sunday.  Ontario member of Parliament Chandra Arya said the Liberal party informed him he's out of the running to be its next leader. 

Arya says he's out of Liberal leadership race, as Carney gets more caucus support

Auschwitz survivors fear rising hate could bring on another Holocaust 80 years later

Auschwitz survivors fear rising hate could bring on another Holocaust 80 years later
As she prepared to return to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Miriam Ziegler vividly recalled how it felt to be a little girl orphaned by the Nazis and left alone in a world ruined by war. Eighty years after the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp, the 89-year-old Ziegler said Monday the rising tide of "hatred" around the world makes her fear that history might be ready to repeat itself.

Auschwitz survivors fear rising hate could bring on another Holocaust 80 years later

Canada's border security package welcome but comes late, Republican senator says

Canada's border security package welcome but comes late, Republican senator says
A prominent Republican senator says Canada’s recent investment in border security — announced in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threat — is tardy but welcome. James Risch, chair of the U.S. Senate foreign relations committee, says border security should be a Canadian policy priority and he wants to see Ottawa make sustained investments.

Canada's border security package welcome but comes late, Republican senator says