Decision expected today in Jacob Hoggard's appeal of sexual assault conviction

Ontario’s top court is expected to deliver its ruling today in the case of Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard, who is challenging his sexual assault conviction.

Ontario’s top court is expected to deliver its ruling today in the case of Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard, who is challenging his sexual assault conviction.

Hoggard was found guilty in June 2022 of sexual assault causing bodily harm against an Ottawa woman, and later sentenced to five years behind bars.

He was released on bail hours later, pending his appeal.

Court documents show his lawyers appealed the conviction on four grounds, including that the trial judge erred by admitting the evidence of Lori Haskell, a clinical psychologist, on the neurobiology of trauma.

They also argued the trial judge wrongly permitted prosecutors to argue that the expert's evidence supported the credibility of the woman Hoggard was found to have sexually assaulted.

The Crown argued in court documents that the psychologist's evidence was properly admitted at trial, and that the trial judge limited Haskell's evidence on the neurobiology of trauma to the "established evidence."

Prosecutors also argued that evidence was not challenged by the defence during cross-examination, and that the trial judge gave jurors mid-trial and final instructions on it.