Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard to face sex assault trial in May
The sex assault trial of Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is set to begin in May after it was postponed multiple times due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The trial, which will be heard by a jury, is now scheduled to start May 2 and continue until early June.
Hoggard, the frontman for the band Hedley, was initially set to stand trial in January of last year but it was postponed by several months, and then again to this month.The trial was delayed again because new jury trials have been put on hold in light of the Omicron-fuelled surge in COVID-19 cases - a pause that is expected to last until at least Feb. 7.
The singer pleaded not guilty at his preliminary hearing to sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual interference.
He was arrested and charged in 2018 for alleged incidents involving a woman and a teenager that police have said took place in the Toronto area in 2016.
The complainants cannot be identified due to a publication ban.
Police launched an investigation earlier in 2018 after allegations emerged suggesting Hoggard had inappropriate encounters with young fans.
Hoggard issued a statement months before his arrest, denying any non-consensual sexual conduct but acknowledging having behaved in a way that "objectified women" and was "reckless and dismissive of their feelings."
Hedley has been on an indefinite hiatus since March 2018. Following the allegation, the band was dropped by its management team and banned by multiple radio stations.
Hoggard was present Thursday for a virtual hearing dealing with pre-trial motions in his case, the contents of which are also protected under a publication ban.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.