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The latest as judge delivers ruling in sexual assault trial of five hockey players

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Jul, 2025 10:26 AM
  • The latest as judge delivers ruling in sexual assault trial of five hockey players

An Ontario judge is delivering her ruling in the sexual assault trial for five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team.

Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote have all pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in an encounter that took place in a London, Ont., hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018.

Here's the latest: 

12:56 p.m.

The judge is recapping some of the submissions defence lawyers presented during the trial, including the argument that the complainant created a false narrative after she regretted the choices she made that night. 

Carroccia says McLeod's lawyer argued that the consent videos taken of the complainant, as well as other evidence, show she was a willing and "active" participant in the sexual activity that night. 

The judge says Hart's lawyer argued that he was "frank" and truthful on the stand and that the complainant's version of events cannot be trusted. 

Carroccia notes the defence has argued the complainant's testimony was inconsistent and seemed "rehearsed."

---

12:47 p.m.

The judge is recapping the Crown's arguments and submissions in the trial.

The Crown argued that the complainant was credible and that she had no reason to fabricate the allegations that she did not voluntarily consent to the sex acts that took place in the hotel room. 

The Crown also argued that the evidence of the accused players should not be accepted, as their credibility is compromised by the text conversations in the group chat that took place after the encounter. 

Carroccia says the Crown argued the players' group chat was trying to "concoct a narrative" about the complainant and what happened that night. 

---

12:19 p.m.

The judge is going over the testimony court heard from Carter Hart, who was the only accused player to testify in his own defence. 

Court heard that McLeod texted a group chat asking if anyone wanted to be in a "three-way" and that Hart replied, "I'm in."

Hart testified that he was drunk and his first memory of the complainant was seeing her laying naked on a sheet on the floor, masturbating. 

He also testified that the woman was offering sex to the men in the room and that he briefly received oral sex from her.

---

12:02 p.m.

The judge has resumed reading the reasons for her ruling after the morning recess. 

She is recapping some of the testimony court heard from other hockey players who were in the hotel room at some point, but did not face any charges in the case. 

Carroccia says one of those hockey players testified that the men in the room appeared to be shocked after he said the complainant offered sex.

---

11:37 a.m.

The judge says she's only halfway through reading her decision and she has called for a brief recess. 

The hockey players are smiling and hugging their lawyers as they file out of court for the break.

Some in the audience are also hugging each other.

---

11:17 a.m.

The judge is going over text messages between the complainant and McLeod after the encounter in the hotel room.

Court heard that McLeod had asked the woman what she could do to make the police investigation "go away."

Carroccia notes the complainant told McLeod that reporting the encounter to police was a mistake and that she was not trying to push the case any further. 

The complainant had testified that she was worried when McLeod contacted her. 

---

11:08 a.m.

The judge is taking note of the so-called consent videos presented as evidence in the trial. 

Court was shown two short clips showing the complainant saying she was "OK" with what was happening in the hotel room and that "it was all consensual." 

Carroccia says the woman did not display any signs of intoxication in the videos and that she spoke clearly. 

She notes the woman testified the videos were not a true reflection of how she was feeling that night. 

The Crown has argued the videos are not proof of consent to the sexual acts that took place.

---

10:45 a.m.

The judge is going over the facts of the case before she delivers her ruling on the charges against each of the players.

She is describing the details court has heard over the course of the trial, such as how the complainant met McLeod at a bar before going to his hotel room with him, and the texts she'd exchanged with a friend that night.

The judge is also recapping the complainant's testimony about how she felt after the encounter and what happened after she got home that night. 

---

10:30 a.m.

Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia is telling court that the complainant in the case did not present credible testimony.

Sighs of relief can be heard in the courtroom, where family members of the accused are sitting behind defence lawyers.

She has not yet delivered a formal ruling.

---

10:25 a.m.

Proceedings are underway in a packed courtroom as the judge is expected to deliver her ruling. 

---

9:25 a.m.

All five accused players are now inside the London, Ont., courthouse where a judge is expected to deliver her decision in their sexual assault trial later this morning.

Carter Hart was the last accused player to arrive, a little before 9:30 a.m.

Protesters outside are getting quieter after the players' arrival, and they say they plan to be back this afternoon after the judge makes her ruling.

---

9:10 a.m.

Four of five accused former hockey players are now at the courthouse to await the ruling in their case.

Dillon Dube was the first to enter, followed by Alex Formenton, both of them arriving before 9 a.m.

Michael McLeod and Callan Foote followed.

Protesters' chanting is intensifying as each player arrives.

---

8 a.m.

Supporters of the complainant in the case are gathering outside the courthouse as the line to enter grows longer.

The supporters are carrying colourful signs signalling support for survivors of sexual assault, and copies of planned chants printed on bright orange paper. 

One reads: "My dress is not a yes." 

One person is writing out the word "believe" in block letters with chalk on the sidewalk.

---

7 a.m.

Reporters and observers began lining up outside the London, Ont., courthouse as early as 6:15 a.m. — more than two hours before it opens.

By 7 a.m., roughly a dozen people were waiting by the entrance.

Space in the courtroom is limited, though staff have set up an overflow room where people can watch the proceedings on TV screens.

Picture Courtesy: Nicole Osborne/The Canadian Press via AP, file

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