WARNING: This story contains graphic details that are confusing.
TORONTO – An Ottawa woman sobs in the rostrum this afternoon when the court heard an emotional phone call between her and Canadian musician Jacob Hogard, which took place days after she claimed he raped her.
A recording of the 15-minute call was released while the woman, one of the two applicants in the trial against Hogard for sexual assault, was questioned by the defense. Earlier, she testified that they spoke after sending an SMS to Hogard, that he had raped her and that the conversation lasted about 30 seconds.
Hogard, the frontman of the Hedley group, pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one charge of sexual intercourse, a charge of sexually assaulting a person under 16 years of age.
A concerted statement of facts states that he had sexual intercourse with each of the applicants separately in the autumn of 2016.
In a recording released today, Hogard spoke calmly and reassuringly, saying that the woman’s statement in the text “came out of the left field” and that he thought they “had a really good time together.”
The woman, whose voice sounds tense and insane, says “not exactly” and adds that she experienced severe pain during and after the meeting.
At various times, she shows that his words sound rehearsed or trained, and suggests that he is trying to defend himself.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Megan Savard noted that the woman told jurors that the conversation lasted only 30 seconds, when it was much longer.
Savard also alleges that the woman misrepresented the content of the conversation in order to win the jury, noting that the complainant had previously denied that Hogard had expressed concern for her or said he cared how she felt during the meeting.
The defense also said that the woman told Hogard that she needed stitches in her vagina, which is fake, and that she would contact a lawyer if he did not apologize.
The woman replied that she did not clearly remember the call because she had “blocked what had happened” in order to “survive”.
She admitted that she lied to Hogard during the conversation that she needed stitches and possibly contacted a lawyer in an attempt to make him apologize.
“I was trying to get him to admit what he did to me and admit his seriousness,” she said.
The woman testified on Tuesday that she agreed to meet the singer in Toronto for sex in November 2016, but that she did not agree with what happened in his hotel room.
She told the court that Hogard raped her anal, vaginally and orally and at one point strangled her so badly that she thought she might die.
The other applicant, who was 16 at the time, testified that Hogard had raped her vaginally and orally and tried to do so anal on 30 September 2016.
None of the applicants could be identified under a ban on publication.
This Canadian Press report was first published on May 11, 2022.
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