A London, Ontario, courtroom saw five players from the 2018 Canadian world junior hockey team acquitted of sexual assault charges. Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia delivered the not guilty verdict on Thursday to Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote.
Justice Carroccia stated that the victim`s testimony was not deemed `credible or reliable` as she announced the verdicts.
Carroccia elaborated, “Given that I cannot depend on E.M.`s testimony and having reviewed all evidence presented in this trial, I`ve determined that the prosecution has not fulfilled its burden of proof for any of the charges.”
The five players—McLeod, Hart, Formenton, Dube, and Foote—had consistently pleaded not guilty to sexual assault concerning an incident on July 19, 2018, in a London, Ontario, hotel room. At the time of the alleged incident, they were in London for a celebratory gala and golf tournament marking their 2018 World Junior Championships win.
McLeod was the sole defendant facing two charges, including `being a party to the offense,` and was acquitted of both.
Justice Carroccia described the differing narratives of the interactions between McLeod and the victim as `confusing.` While acknowledging inconsistencies in McLeod`s statements, the judge concluded these were insufficient to discredit parts of his version of the night`s events.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors depicted McLeod as the primary instigator.
Testimony during the trial indicated McLeod met the complainant at a London bar earlier that evening and subsequently invited her to his hotel room. Prosecutors contended that McLeod then brought several teammates to the room to engage in sexual acts with the victim without her consent.
The woman testified that she did not willingly consent to the sexual activities in the hotel room. Conversely, the defense maintained that she participated consensually and fabricated her account during the trial.
Legal representatives for McLeod, Hart, Formenton, and Dube asserted that the woman had consented to the sexual encounters. Foote`s lawyer, however, claimed his client remained clothed and was performing splits over her body during the alleged incident.
Teammates Brett Howden and Tyler Steenbergen testified that the woman inquired if anyone in the group would have sex with her. Overall, nine witnesses provided testimony during the six-week trial, with most appearing remotely.
The trial commenced in April with a jury. However, Justice Carroccia dismissed the jury twice, ultimately opting for a single judge to prevent a complete restart of the proceedings.
