Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard found not guilty of sexual assault
CTV
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
WARNING: The following details of the sexual assault case may be disturbing, discretion is advised.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard was found not guilty Friday of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago, the culmination of a roughly two-week trial that saw both the singer and his accuser paint starkly different pictures of what happened.
Hoggard, dressed in a dark suit, faced the jury as the verdict was delivered Friday night in Haileybury, a community within Temiskaming Shores, Ont.
Jurors had deliberated for less than six hours before delivering their unanimous verdict.
In a written statement, Hoggard's defence team said the singer thanked the jury for "recognizing that the evidence in this case was too frail and dangerous to support a conviction."
"The jury reached the right result this evening when it acquitted Mr. Hoggard," the defence lawyers said. "Mr. Hoggard is grateful for the support of his wife, family and friends. His priority now is returning to British Columbia to be with his family."
