The emotional cross-examination of the woman accusing Jacob Hoggard of sexual assault concluded at his trial on Friday, as the Canadian musician’s defence counsel questioned the clarity of the complainant’s recollection and emphasised a lack of proof to

The emotional cross-examination of the woman accusing Jacob Hoggard of sexual assault ended Friday at his trial, as the Canadian musician’s defence lawyer questioned the complainant’s memory, highlighted a lack of documentation to back up her account, and accused her of changing her story for the jury’s benefit. The lady, whose name is protected by a publication prohibition, claims Hoggard raped, choked, slapped, and urinated on her in his hotel room after she attended his band’s concert and bonfire after-party in Kirkland Lake, Ont., eight years ago.

Her evidence in court in Haileybury, a hamlet in northeastern Ontario, has lasted the majority of the week. It concluded at the end of the day on Friday, with the Crown indicating that no additional witnesses will be called. Hoggard, the lead singer of the band Hedley, has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault. The defence and the Crown both agree that Hoggard and the woman had a sexual encounter. Prosecutors want to prove that the plaintiff did not grant consent. The woman sobbed and requested a break approximately 20 minutes into the day on Friday, while being questioned by defence lawyer Megan Savard about her memories of the alleged assault.

Earlier this week, a woman testified that Hoggard took out a guitar as they entered his hotel room, expecting him to play music, but instead he set it down and began removing her clothing over her protests. Savard stated that what happened was that Hoggard sang some songs for her, which the woman disputed. “You’re skipping over that fact for the jury because you think that hurts your case,” Savard told the reporter. “No,” the woman replied. “It sounds pretty romantic,” the defence attorney stated. “No,” the complainant repeated. “And you don’t want to admit to the jury that you were in a romantic situation with this —” “No,” the woman said angrily. “— with this man, you had a boyfriend Savard continued

“I thought of my boyfriend,” the complainant added, starting to cry. “But nothing about it was romantic or something I desired. I did not ask for this to happen to me.” Savard went on to request specifics about how the complainant’s garments were removed. The complainant had earlier stated that she couldn’t recall exactly how it happened. On Friday morning, she said her skirt had been pulled down, but when questioned by Savard, the woman later admitted that the technique of removal was really a “guess,” and that her memories of that part of the night were “blurry.” “I’m suggesting to you that the clothes that you have no memory of him taking off were clothes that you assisted in removing,” Savard reportedly added. The complainant denied.

When Savard pressed the complainant on whether the woman’s evidence was based on emotions rather than memories, she burst into tears and asked to leave the courtroom. When Savard continued, the woman repeatedly admitted that portions of her evidence was based on what she thought, felt, or suspected happened. Savard reviewed the events leading up to the alleged assault and suggested that several of them were consensual, including Hoggard removing her clothing, photographing her with his guitar, and filming her whilered for her age. The complainant claimed that it was not voluntary, but she couldn’t remember key spe

The woman told the court that after the alleged attack, she spent at least two hours in the bathroom throwing up repeatedly. When asked Friday if she slept in the hotel room, she responded no. Savard then recounted various passages of the woman’s January 2022 police statement, in which she mentioned spending part of the night asleep. The complainant left that out, Savard speculated, because she thought sleeping over “looks bad” and would have to explain it to the jury. The woman denied it, but said she “wouldn’t have remembered” the section if Savard hadn’t mentioned it. Hoggard’s lawyer also questioned the complainant about the red markings she claimed she observed on her body following the alleged assault.

According to CBC, it was impossible to determine whether a record of her visit to the centre existed. Savard suggested that the records did not exist. The complainant refuted that, saying on Friday that she sought medical assistance at the centre and in a hospital emergency room sometime after the event, but she couldn’t recall when and it might not have been “right away.” After examining the police record, she explained that when she told the detective she didn’t seek medical assistance, she meant “that I didn’t go to the hospital on my way home.”

According to the CBC, it was unable to ascertain whether there was a record of her visit to the centre. Savard argued that the records did not exist. The complainant denied this on Friday, stating she sought medical attention at the centre and in a hospital emergency room sometime after the incident, but she couldn’t remember when and it might not have been “right away.” After reviewing the police report, she clarified that when she told the detective she didn’t seek medical help, she meant “that I didn’t go to the hospital on my way home.”

The CBC was unable to determine whether there was any record of her visit to the centre. Savard claimed that the records didn’t exist. On Friday, the complainant refuted this, claiming she sought medical assistance at the centre and in a hospital emergency room sometime after the incident, but she couldn’t recall when and it may not have been “right away.” After reading the police report, she explained that when she told the detective she didn’t seek medical attention, she meant “that I didn’t go to the hospital on my way home.”