During the second day of the sexual assault trial in London, Ontario, the jury was presented with video footage recorded at Jack`s bar on the night of June 18, 2018. These videos, captured on phones and by closed-circuit cameras, showed several current and former NHL players.
Continuing her testimony from Monday, Detective Tiffany Waque of the London Police Service, the prosecution`s initial witness, confirmed the source of the videos. As the recordings were played in court, she also identified each player visible inside the bar for the jury upon request.
At different times within the bar, alongside “E.M.”, the complainant in this case, and other individuals, were players including Michael McLeod, Tyler Steenbergen, Drake Batherson, Cale Makar, Maxime Comtois, Dillon Dube, Jake Bean, and Cal Foote. It was noted that some of the video clips displayed originated from the phones of Batherson and McLeod.
The defense team had previously agreed to the authenticity and continuity of these video exhibits.
Michael McLeod, aged 27, faces two counts of sexual assault, one of which involves aiding in the commission of the offense. Dillon Dube (26), Cal Foote (26), Alex Formenton (25), and Carter Hart (26) are each charged with one count of sexual assault. All five individuals have entered not guilty pleas to their respective charges. The other players mentioned by Detective Waque in connection with the videos have not been charged.
Court proceedings were halted on Tuesday afternoon due to technical difficulties and the excessive heat within the courtroom. Further testimony is anticipated when the trial resumes on Wednesday.
