No evidence was heard on Thursday at the trial of five former world players of Junior Hockey accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room in London, Ontario, in 2018.
Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foot, Carter Hart and Alex Formenton face a position of sexual assault. McLod faces an additional count of being part of a crime. All players declared themselves innocent.
The identity of the plaintiff, known in the Court as EM, is covered by a prohibition of publication, which is standard in cases of sexual aggression.
On Tuesday a jury was elected in the long anticipated case.
On Wednesday morning, the 14 jurors heard instructions from the judge and then the opening statements of the crown before they were told to go home for the day, since the lawyers and the judge of the Superior Court Maria Carroroccia discussed a legal issue.
All Thursday was approached by arguments without the jury present. These discussions are always covered by a prohibition of mandatory publication.
At the time the charges were announced, McLeod and Footo were with the New Jersey Devils, Dubé was with Calgary and Hart’s flames was with the Flyadelfia flyers. Formenton was signed by the Senators of Ottawa, but played in Switzerland. Foote and Hart are not currently in sport, but McLeod and Dubé have been playing with Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) teams. Formenton has indicated that he is working on construction in Barrie, Ontario.
They are accused in a case that dates back to the summer of 2018 while they were in a London hotel after a gala that celebrated the victory of the gold medal of the world’s junior hockey team months before.
The Court is expected to resume Friday morning.
