(Toronto) Former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard, testifying Wednesday at his sexual assault trial, called the theory that part of his Bahamas property was designed for his sexual antics “insane.” secrets.
Nygard, founder of a now-defunct international women’s clothing company, is accused of using his position in the fashion industry to lure women and girls into his net.
Some plaintiffs who came to testify at the trial spoke of the defendant’s property in the Bahamas, “Nygard Cay,” where he frequently stayed.
PHOTO COLE BURSTON, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Peter Nygard
The accused, now 82 years old, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment, for events which allegedly took place from the 1980s to the mid-2000s.
The fifth and final plaintiff in this trial testified last week. The Crown has presented its evidence and it is now the defense’s turn to call witnesses to the stand this week.
Several plaintiffs claimed at trial that they had been invited to Nygard’s Toronto headquarters under pretexts ranging from courtesy calls to job interviews. These meetings sometimes ended in the bedroom of a suite on the top floor of the headquarters, where the plaintiffs allege they were sexually assaulted by the accused.
His lawyer, Brian Greenspan, questioned him Wednesday about his childhood, his family’s immigration to Canada from Finland after World War II, and his rise in the North American fashion industry.
Me Greenspan also questioned him about his various overseas properties. When asked if the Bahamas estate hid a secret sex location, Nygard replied, “It’s crazy (there’s) no such thing.”
Nygard also described to jurors the relationships he had with women over the decades since his divorce. He explained that because he traveled a lot for work, he tended to have affairs with women who could travel with him.
Peter Nygard founded the clothing company Nygard International in Winnipeg in 1967; he resigned as chairman in February 2020, before the company declared bankruptcy.