Thursday, February 19, 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

Canadian among three climbers missing on New Zealand's highest peak

Canadian among three climbers missing on New Zealand's highest peak
A Canadian is among three climbers missing after they'd planned to climb New Zealand's highest peak. A news release from the New Zealand Police says two Americans, Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, and the unnamed Canadian flew into Plateau Hut on Saturday morning and planned to summit Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook.

Canadian among three climbers missing on New Zealand's highest peak

Anti-Israel war protesters arrested following sit-in at parliamentary building

Anti-Israel war protesters arrested following sit-in at parliamentary building
Fourteen people were arrested on Parliament Hill this morning after staging a sit-in demanding Canada immediately stop sending any weapons to Israel. The protesters from Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the entrance to the Confederation Building, which contains dozens of offices for members of Parliament.

Anti-Israel war protesters arrested following sit-in at parliamentary building

Health-care costs will rise significantly as population ages, says new report

Health-care costs will rise significantly as population ages, says new report
A new report says Canada needs to rethink its approach to health care to help manage rising costs as people age. CSA Group, an organization that helps policymakers develop standards around health and safety, says health care currentlycosts about $12,000 per year for each person 65 years and older, compared to $2,700 for each person younger than 65. 

Health-care costs will rise significantly as population ages, says new report

Defence argues evidence too thin in Ottawa neo-Nazi terrorism trial

Defence argues evidence too thin in Ottawa neo-Nazi terrorism trial
Defence lawyers for an Ottawa graphic designer facing terror charges over his alleged involvement with the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division say the evidence against their client is flimsy. Closing arguments are wrapping up in the trial of Patrick Macdonald, who pleaded not guilty to three charges of terrorism and hate speech.

Defence argues evidence too thin in Ottawa neo-Nazi terrorism trial

Cucumbers recalled due to salmonella

Cucumbers recalled due to salmonella
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling field cucumbers – some of which were distributed in B-C – for possible salmonella contamination. The affected products from Mexico may have been labelled “SunFed” or sold loose without a brand name.

Cucumbers recalled due to salmonella

Erratic driver crashes into Nanaimo home

Erratic driver crashes into Nanaimo home
Police in Nanaimo say a driver doing donuts lost control of their vehicle and crashed into a home on Saturday. The R-C-M-P says it's fortunate no one in the home was injured when the vehicle drove over the lawn and was lodged into the foundation, destroyed some brick work and a basement window.

Erratic driver crashes into Nanaimo home