After seven days, the cross examination of E.M., the complainant in the sexual assault trial of five former junior hockey players, is over.
The fifth and final defence attorney questioned E.M in a London, Ont., courtroom on Tuesday.
Julianna Greenspan, lawyer for Cal Foote, concentrated heavily on E.M.’s, language in her 2018 police statement versus how she is speaking today.
“Having listened to your evidence and gone through transcripts with the Crown, with your evidence with the Crown on Friday, May 2 and Monday, May 5, I would suggest that you refer to these individuals as man and men over and over and do not once, not one single time refer to them as boy or boys,” said Greenspan. “Do you accept that?”
“Yes, I accept that.” said E.M.
“I was going to put this suggestion to you, ma’am, having gone through all of the complete references of boy, not one single use of man. A complete opposite to what you’ve done at this trial is that the reason why you have so carefully changed your language is because you have come into this trial with a clear agenda. Isn’t that right?” said Greenspan.
“No, absolutely not. I just, I’m older. I understand more. I just, they were men.” said E.M.
Greenspan also revealed that in June 2018, at the time of the alleged incidents, the complainant worked at SportChek, a sporting goods retail store that Greenspan pointed out sold hockey equipment, hats, jerseys and other clothing.
“[SportChek] sold Team Canada jerseys, right?” Greenspan questioned her.
“I believe so. Yes,” said E.M.
“They sold hats with NHL and Team Canada logos?
“That’s right.”
“So all sorts of Team Canada paraphernalia, right?”
“That’s right,” confirmed E.M.
As she continued her cross-examination, Greenspan told the court E.M.’s dad played university-level hockey, her brother played competitive hockey in a local league, and in 2014, her dad won the volunteer of the year award for that league. Court also heard E.M.’s cousins played Junior B level hockey.
When questioned about being “surrounded in your family with hockey fans and hockey players,” E.M. said, she didn’t know her dad won the volunteer award and about her brother and cousins, said: “It wasn’t anything I was interested in or paid attention to. So I don’t know why that has anything to do with me.”
The Crown will begin its re-examination of her Wednesday morning.
Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Foote have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in connection with an encounter that took place in a London, Ont., hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018.
McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault.
The events at the heart of the case took place as several members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team were in London for a gala marking their championship win.
The complainant, who was 20 at the time, is testifying by CCTV and cannot be identified under a standard publication ban.