Ontario’s top court has upheld the sexual assault conviction of musician Jacob Hoggard, after he appealed the ruling.
The former Hedley frontman was found guilty in June 2022 of sexual assault causing bodily harm against an Ottawa woman. He was later sentenced to five years behind bars, but released on bail hours later, pending his appeal.
Today's decision to dismiss the appeal was unanimous after the appeal court found that no substantial wrong or miscarriage of justice occurred at trial.
According to the Canadian Press, Hoggard's lawyers appealed the conviction on four grounds, "including that the trial judge erred by admitting the evidence of Lori Haskell, a clinical psychologist, on the neurobiology of trauma."
In addition, his lawyers also argued the trial judge was wrong to permit prosecutors to argue that expert evidence given supported the credibility of the victim Hoggard was found guilty of sexually assaulting.
Court documents reveal that the Crown argued that evidence given by Haskell was admitted properly, and that the trial judge limited Haskell’s evidence on the neurobiology of trauma to the “established evidence," which was not challenged by Hoggard's lawyers during a cross-examination.
Savard and Foy, the firm representing Hoggard, issued a statement followng the decision, declaring they will be "reviewing the judgment to consider our next steps."
"We are disappointed in today's decision from the Court of Appeal for Ontario denying our client Jacob Hoggard's appeal," they write. "While we maintain that Mr. Hoggard's trial was unfair, we respect the court's decision. We are carefully reviewing the judgment to consider our next steps."