The sexual-assault case brought against former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard at the Montreal courthouse was committed to trial on Wednesday following a two-day preliminary hearing.
Recommended Videos
Nygard, 83, is charged with sexual assault and forcible confinement. He was first charged in the Montreal case in 2022. The offences are alleged to have taken place in Montreal between Nov. 1, 1997 and Nov. 15, 1998. The complainant, a model at the time, was in her late teens when the crimes were allegedly committed.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Quebec Court Judge Geneviève Graton heard testimony to determine if there was enough evidence to proceed with a trial. The judge agreed there was and set March 28 as a formality hearing in the case. Nygard was represented by Montreal defence lawyer Giuseppe Battista, who confirmed in court that Nygard wants a trial before a judge alone.
The Crown was represented by prosecutor Jérôme Laflamme.
Last September, Nygard was sentenced in Ontario to an 11-year prison term following his conviction of four counts of sexual assault. When time served was factored into the sentence, he was left with seven years to serve.
Nygard followed the hearing on Wednesday through a video conference connecting a federal penitentiary in Ontario to a courtroom on the third floor of the Montreal courthouse. He had a thick, white beard and was wearing a grey baseball cap that covered his eyes. He wore a pair of dark glasses for most of the hearing.
Because of a standard court order, evidence presented during the preliminary inquiry cannot be published in order to protect Nygard’s right to a fair trial.
Nygard also has cases pending in Manitoba and the U.S.