Peter Nygard's bedroom in his Toronto HQ shown in video played at sexual assault trial
Prosecutors at the sexual assault trial of fashion magnate Peter Nygard played a promotional video illustrating his building on Niagara Street in downtown Toronto, as it appeared when it was occupied by Nygard's business, including the private bedroom on the top floor where the assaults allegedly took place.
The video illustrated the "Berlin Room," known for its table that featured a section of the Berlin Wall, a waterfall that cascaded from the third to the first floor, a gym and a showroom that was typical of the luxury for the wealthy designer, who added another floor when he redesigned the building in 1986.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
That floor contained the bedroom itself — which the video calls Nygard's VIP suite — and featured a large bed, a jacuzzi, views of the Toronto skyline seen through its attached shower and sauna, and custom security features.
Former Nygard contractor David Gauthier told the court that many of the doors on that top floor were designed to be hidden, with the main entrance to the bedroom appearing to be just a mirror on the outside.
READ MORE: Nygard used secret bedroom in his company's Toronto HQ for sexual assaults: Crown
That was the door that automatically locked unless someone pressed a button near the bed, he said.
"To get out that door, I would go to the door, and someone else would have to press the button and disengage the mag lock for me to get out," he said.
An image from a promotional video played at Peter Nygard's trial.
But it wasn't the only entrance to the bedroom. Diagrams entered as exhibits in court also showed another entry through Nygard's office, which could be accessed through the Berlin Room.
Nygard is accused of sexually assaulting five women, aged 16 to 28, from the late 1980s to 2005.
Prosecutors allege the women were offered jobs or exclusive experiences, and often a tour of the building, which ended in the bedroom, and that's when the women were attacked.
The 82-year-old has pleaded not guilty to five counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement.
Gauthier had told authorities that there were no interior handles on the mirror door — an observation that the Crown counsel repeated in their opening address to the jury.
But Gauthier contradicted that on the stand, saying there was a handle as the door opened inwards to the bedroom.
Nygard's lawyer, Brian Greenspan, pointed out that Nygard had bedrooms at many of his international properties.
Testifying Thursday is a clinical psychologist, the crown said.
"It could be a very worthy way to come at something to educate the jury first and foremost on how trauma works, what it's like in the mind, and what happens to people when they endure trauma," said trauma therapist Shannon Moroney.
"It could be a preparation to understand more fully what is going on when they do hear these traumatic testimonies."
The women who stated they were attacked by Nygard are expected to testify in the coming days.
Nygard founded Nygard International in Winnipeg, Man. in 1967 and stepped down as chairman of the clothing company in February 2020 before it filed for bankruptcy.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Two Canadian citizens confirmed dead in Antigua: Global Affairs
Global Affairs Canada has confirmed the death of two Canadian citizens in Antigua and Barbuda, news that comes amid reports from local officials that a woman and child drowned last week at Devil’s Bridge.
Senators were intimidated, had their privilege breached, Speaker rules
Any attempt to intimidate a senator while in the process of fulfilling their duties is a breach of their privilege, even if the effort is ultimately unsuccessful, the Speaker of the Senate ruled Tuesday.
Nearly 70 victim impact statements expected at Nathaniel Veltman sentencing
As the Crown and the defence discussed legal matters ahead of the sentencing hearing of Nathaniel Veltman, the court heard that 68 victim impact statements are expected to be submitted.
'Widespread' sexual and gender-based crimes committed during Hamas attack, Israeli officials say
Israeli officials say there were 'widespread' sexual and gender-based crimes committed by Hamas during its Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante collapses during press conference
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is 'doing well' but will reduce the pace of her activities over the next few days after collapsing during a press conference at City Hall on Tuesday morning.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Poilievre keeps scoring into the Liberals' empty net
In his column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says Pierre Poilievre's new 'Housing Hell' video dealt a 'devastating' blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberals, whose cupboard seems empty of big ideas.
Here is Canada's unseasonably mild December forecast
December is predicted to be unseasonably mild across Canada, thanks to a "moderate-to-strong" El Nino and human-caused warming. Warming and precipitation trends will be stronger in some parts of the country than others, and severe weather is still possible, meteorologists say.
Israel moves into Gaza's second-largest city and intensifies strikes in bloody new phase of the war
Israel said Tuesday that its troops had entered Gaza's second-largest city as intensified bombardment sent streams of ambulances and cars racing to hospitals with wounded and dead Palestinians, including children, in a bloody new phase of the war.
Canadian 15-year-old students' math scores have been dipping since 2003: study
Most 15-year-old students in Canada met the basic standards for math and the country was among the top 10 performers in the tests, though scores have been dropping since 2003, according to a new global report.