(Toronto) Rocker Jacob Hoggard may have been cavalier and disrespectful to women, but he’s not a “sadistic serial rapist,” his lawyers argued Friday.
Posted at 1:44 p.m.
In her final argument, attorney Megan Savard portrayed her client as an anxious star who needed attention and frequently embarked on one-night stands while touring with her band, Hedley. He succumbed to the temptation to have affairs even if he was in a relationship.
Me Savard claimed the two women who accuse Jacob Hoggard of sexual assault may have been “disappointed” by his refusal to commit to long-term relationships, but disappointing a partner is not a crime.
Jacob Hoggard, 37, pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one of sexual interference, a charge related to sexual touching of “a body part of a a child under the age of 16”.
The lawsuit alleges that the singer repeatedly violently sexually assaulted a 16-year-old fan and another young woman at two separate events in the fall of 2016. Both plaintiffs testified that they said “no” frequently during the encounters and that they cried during these.
Prosecutors also alleged that Jacob Hoggard grabbed the youngest complainant’s buttocks backstage after a Hedley concert in Toronto in April 2016. The fan of the band was still 15 at the time.
The defense argues that the behind-the-scenes story never happened and that the sex was consensual.
Last week, Hoggard claimed to have had consensual and “passionate” sex with the two complainants in Toronto-area hotel rooms.
He acknowledged that certain acts recounted by the complainants — such as spitting, slapping them and making degrading remarks about them — could have happened because of his sexual habits.
The prosecution is due to deliver its closing statement to jurors on Friday afternoon. Deliberations could begin as early as Tuesday.