Former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been denied bail while he appeals his sexual assault conviction and 11-year prison sentence.
The Ontario Court of Appeal rejected the request for bail, saying Nygard’s appeal case appears to be weak and he poses a real risk of flight, as he faces charges in other cities.
Nygard, 83, was convicted last year in Toronto of four counts of sexual assault, stemming from allegations by several women dating from the 1980s to the mid-2000s. He was sentenced in September to 11 years in prison.
The judge who presided over the trial estimated that after taking into account the time already spent in pretrial detention, Nygard would still have to serve just under seven years of his 11-year prison sentence.
In the appeal filed last month, Nygard’s lawyers argue that his sentence is excessive and that the trial judge made several errors of law, including admitting testimony from clinical psychologist Lori Haskell about the effects of trauma.
In rejecting the bail application, the Court of Appeal also said that public confidence in the administration of justice would be undermined if Nygard were released for further proceedings.
Nygard also faces charges in Quebec, Manitoba and the United States.
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