(Toronto) Jurors in the sexual assault trial of Canadian rocker Jacob Hoggard told the court Thursday morning that they were not unanimous on some points, but the judge asked them to continue deliberating.
Posted at 12:15 p.m.
The jury told the court Thursday morning it was deadlocked after about 15 hours of deliberations, which began Tuesday afternoon.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Gillian Roberts told them to keep trying and listening to each other’s views with an open mind.
Hoggard, lead singer of the band Hedley, pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one count of sexual interference, a charge that refers to sexual touching of a person under the age of 16.
The lawsuit alleges the singer repeatedly violently sexually assaulted a teenage fan of the band and a young Ottawa woman at separate events in the fall of 2016.
Prosecutors also allege that after a performance by the group in Toronto in April 2016, Hoggard inappropriately touched the teenager when she was just 15 years old.
The defense argues that the plaintiffs had consensual sex with Hoggard and then lied about it to cover up their embarrassment after being dumped by the singer.