Jury in London hockey trial shown videos of E.M., players at bar
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Content advisory: This article includes allegations of sexual assault.
London, Ont. – The second day of the sexual assault trial of five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team began with the jury watching surveillance video of E.M., the complainant in the case, talking and dancing at a London bar with Michael McLeod and several other Team Canada players who have not been charged in the case.
The videos were part of the first testimony heard by the jury of nine women and five men in Ontario Superior Court in London in the case against McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote.
The players are charged with sexually assaulting a woman who is identified in court documents as E.M. in June 2018 at a London hotel following a Hockey Canada golf and gala event. McLeod faces a second sexual assault charge as a party to the offence.
The players have all pleaded not guilty. If they are convicted, they face as many as 10 years in prison.
London police officer Det. Tiffany Waque testified Tuesday that the series of videos and photos were obtained by police in connection with their investigation into the incident. As the videos were played in front of the jury, Waque identified each of the world juniors players and people connected to the case.
The videos, most of which do not have sound, show current Vegas Golden Knights centre Brett Howden approaching E.M. and talking with her inside Jack’s Bar between 11:40 p.m. and midnight. A few minutes later, Howden and McLeod are both shown talking with E.M.
A number of videos showed McLeod with E.M.
One brief video, obtained from current Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson’s cellphone, shows Batherson, Howden, Foote, Cale Makar and Jake Bean together on the dance floor under a strobe light as The Killers’ song Mr. Brightside plays loudly.
Other videos show Matt Maccarone, identified by Waque as a "sponsor but not part of the team" standing at a bar with E.M., Tyler Steenbergen and McLeod. At one point, Maccarrone is shown on the dance floor with Bean sitting on his shoulders.
Before taking a morning break, the Crown showed a photo posted on social media by Jack’s Bar that showed McLeod, Batherson and Howden on the dance floor and a blurry video of a group of players, including Maxime Comtois, that was obtained from Batherson’s phone.
Very little testimony was introduced on Tuesday. The air conditioning system in the 14th-floor courtroom was not working and the video system kept failing.
At about 3:10 p.m. ET, after a series of delays, the judge dismissed the jury, telling its members she hoped the problems would be corrected before court begins Wednesday morning.