In Toronto, trial judge Jacob Hoggard on Monday refused to detain the singer at the Crown’s request, but he is restricting the conditions of its bail pending the hearing of his sentence.
The 37-year-old entertainer was convicted Sunday night of sexual assault in 2016 that caused bodily harm against an Ottawa woman in Toronto.
Jacob Hoggard looked sleepy from his home in Vancouver with his wife and a friend for his virtual hearing Monday morning.
After hearing the arguments of both parties, Justice Gillian Roberts, of the Superior Court of Ontario, recalled that the cause of the Crown is no longer theoretical but very true and that the accused had committed a very serious crime for which he was found guilty at the conclusion of his trial.
A crime for which he faces severe punishmenthe continued, explaining that the situation has now changed since Sunday night.
The magistrate said it was necessary to maintain public trust in the administration of justice and at the same time ensure that Jacob Hoggard did not get lost in thin air while awaiting his sentence.
It therefore imposes a series of very strict conditions on him that he must submit, if he fails he will be imprisoned again. He admits that the singer interacted with members of her community.
Jacob Hoggard will have to post $ 200,000 bail and stay in British Columbia. Her husband released the necessary funds by mortgaging their residence.
The singer will be subject to a night curfew from 10 pm to 6 am and can only reside at two addresses: the residence of his family and that of the friend in question.
The judge therefore rejects the defense’s idea of letting his client and living from June 15 to 30 in an isolated village in the Gulf of Alaska, where his wife works in an Aboriginal community.
Therefore, the singer had to stay with her son at her residence in Vancouver and Ms. Asselstine had to be separated from her baby for two weeks.
Moreover, Jacob Hoggard could not leave the country at any time and obtained his passport. Only then will he be able to travel to Toronto for his upcoming court hearings.
Finally, the musician could not enter into direct or indirect communication with his 29-year-old victim in Ottawa, or even visit the national capital.
Disappointment of the Crown
Prosecutor Jill Witkin wants Jacob Hoggard returned to prison because of the risk of recidivism and the hit and run he represents, according to her, while awaiting his sentence.
He recalled that the artist was facing another case of sexual assault causing harm to a third complainant (this information was kept secret until jury deliberations, Ed).
The alleged facts in this case allegedly took place in June 2016 in Kirkland Lake, 300 km from Sudbury.
Jacob Hoggard was also acquitted at the conclusion of the same trial of two more cases of a sexual nature against a teenager from the Toronto area.
However, he did not, in accordance with the conditions imposed by the Court, to contact it.
The Crown and the defense must meet again with the judge next Friday to confirm the date for the singer’s sentence hearing.
The parties have 30 days to appeal the verdict of acquittal for the Crown or the verdict of the offender for the defense.
Jacob Hoggard faces a maximum of 14 years in prison.
Source: Radio-Canada
