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Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard a risk to public, Crown says at sentencing hearing

Crown: psychiatric report shows Hoggard has not shown any remorse and has not taken responsibility
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Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard arrives alongside his wife Rebekah Asselstine, for his sex assault trial at the Toronto courthouse, in Toronto, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. A sentencing hearing continues today for Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard, who was found guilty earlier this year of a sexual assault on an Ottawa woman. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is a risk to the public, the prosecution said Friday at the Hedley frontmanB次元官网网址檚 sentencing hearing for sexually assaulting an Ottawa woman, while the defence pointed to a psychiatric report that said he was a low risk to reoffend.

The Crown wants Hoggard behind bars for six to seven years while the defence is seeking a three-to-four year term.

Crown attorney Kelly Slate said a psychiatric report completed after the trial shows Hoggard has not shown any remorse and has not taken responsibility for his actions.

B次元官网网址淏ecause (Hoggard) is not acknowledging any responsibility, the CrownB次元官网网址檚 position is he could put himself in this position again,B次元官网网址 Slate said, B次元官网网址渁nd that heB次元官网网址檚 a risk to the public.B次元官网网址

The 2016 sexual assault took place in a Toronto hotel room. The Ottawa woman, whose name cannot be published due to a standard court ban, told the hearing last week that what happened will haunt her for the rest of her life.

Hoggard had also been charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm in the case of a teenage fan, as well as sexual interference involving that complainant but was found not guilty on those offences.

The 38-year-old Hoggard had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

His lawyer, Megan Savard, said the psychiatric analysis performed by Dr. Hy Bloom, a forensic psychiatrist, concluded Hoggard had a low risk to reoffend, was not a sexual deviant and not a psychopath.

Court heard that Bloom found that HoggardB次元官网网址檚 celebrity played a large role in his pursuit of sexual conquests B次元官网网址 that the musician had sex with about 200 people in his life and B次元官网网址60 to 70 per cent would be fans of Hedley.B次元官网网址

The band fell apart after the allegations against Hoggard surfaced in 2018.

B次元官网网址淲hat Dr. Bloom found is that this is a man who is capable of personal growth,B次元官网网址 Savard said.

B次元官网网址淚t does contextualize his behaviour, instead of a big question mark of is this a serial sexual predator and we have positive evidence that is not the case.B次元官网网址

But the Crown said BloomB次元官网网址檚 report should be given little weight in sentencing. Slate pointed to BloomB次元官网网址檚 own admission in the report on its limitations B次元官网网址 primarily that he relied on interviews with Hoggard, his wife, family and friends and no interviews with the victim or any of the musicianB次元官网网址檚 previous girlfriends and sexual partners.

Slate said the sentence should be well above the normal three-to-five year range for several reasons, including the violent nature of the sexual assault.

B次元官网网址淥n numerous occasions Mr. Hoggard overpowered and held (her) down against her will and that repeated violence for sexual gratification lasted over a period of hours,B次元官网网址 said Crown attorney Jill Witkin.

Court previously heard Hoggard met the woman through Tinder and two weeks later arranged for her to travel to Toronto to meet for sex in a hotel room.

But once inside the room, the woman told court, Hoggard B次元官网网址渂ecame a completely different personB次元官网网址 and a B次元官网网址渃omplete psychopath.B次元官网网址

The woman testified Hoggard raped her repeatedly, choked her, called her a B次元官网网址渄irty little pigB次元官网网址 while he made animal noises and dragged her to the bathroom where he asked her to urinate on him and she said no.

She said she thought she was going to die while being choked.

Hoggard later told Bloom he maintained his innocence after the juryB次元官网网址檚 verdict came down, saying the encounter was consensual. The woman testified the entire incident from start to finish was not consensual.

B次元官网网址淭he CrownB次元官网网址檚 position is the lack of remorse and not taking responsibility for his actions limits his potential for rehabilitation,B次元官网网址 Slate said.

The defence argued Hoggard should be given a lesser sentence partially because he has no criminal record and has great potential at rehabilitation.

Savard said part of the womanB次元官网网址檚 testimony lacked credibility and reliability. She said the woman could not recall, for example, if she was penetrated three or four or five times and she also had a penchant for exaggeration.

The psychiatric report, which was requested by the defence, found HoggardB次元官网网址檚 numerous sexual encounters occurred because of his celebrity.

Bloom wrote that now that HoggardB次元官网网址檚 life as a celebrity is over, he is unlikely to be in a situation with a fan again.

B次元官网网址淚 would appraise Mr. HoggardB次元官网网址檚 risk for engaging in the same or similar behaviours in the future as low,B次元官网网址 Bloom wrote.

B次元官网网址淚t could never be said of anyone that they are at no risk at all.B次元官网网址

Savard said Hoggard now has little money, works in the construction industry and has few skills outside music. He was publicly humiliated and now must weigh whether he should go out in public with his family or not, she said.

The judge asked Hoggard at the end if he wanted to say anything.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 going to pass,B次元官网网址 Hoggard said.

The sentence is set to be delivered on Oct. 20.

B次元官网网址擫iam Casey, The Canadian Press





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