New witness takes stand in sexual assault trial of ex-junior hockey players

A retired London police detective testified today about an interview he had with the accused in 2018, CTV London's Nick Paparella reports.

Content advisory: This article includes graphic language and details of alleged sexual assault

Retired police officer Steven Newton is the next Crown witness to take the stand in the sexual assault trial of five former Team Canada junior hockey players.

Newton’s career with London, Ont., police spanned 32 years, holding roles in the training branch, human resources, and the sexual assault and child abuse section - he was the lead investigator on the case in June 2018.

At the time, many members of the 2018 national world junior team were in town for a series of events celebrating their championship win.

The Crown entered into evidence an hour and 15 minute video of the original police interview between Newton and Michael McLeod form Nov. 18, 2018.

In the video, McLeod was seen wearing a dark grey suit and a white collar shirt with no tie.

Newton told McLeod he was there to learn everything about what happened, so he can make the best determination by doing an investigation.

At the time of the interview, Newton told McLeod he didn’t feel he had identified necessary grounds for charges of a sexual assault, and that over the course of their discussion, if at any point he felt he could determine an assault occurred, he would stop the interview and notify McLeod.

McLeod told Newton E.M., the female complainant, was offering to give oral sex. He said, the guys in the room were drunk, but: “We weren’t blackout drunk by any means, we had our head on straight for the most part.”

After having consensual sex with E.M., McLeod said he used Uber eats to order mozzarella sticks and chicken wings. He went down to the lobby to get the food, and when he cam back, E.M. was giving oral sex to Carter Hart.

McLeod described the night as a, “weird situation” that he “wasn’t expecting was going to happen.”

He said he took a video of E.M. giving consent because he was “worried something like this might happen,” and he just wanted to make sure she was okay with it.

About 15 minutes of the video was shown before the afternoon lunch break.

E.M., alleges she was sexually assaulted in room 209 of the Delta Hotel in the early morning hours of June 19, 2018.

Brett Howden finishes testimony

Defence lawyers have finished cross-examining a former member of Canada’s world junior hockey team today at the sexual assault trial of five of his ex-teammates.

A defence lawyer representing one of the accused suggested during cross-examination today that Brett Howden minimized his interactions with the woman in speaking with Hockey Canada investigators and police because he was concerned about how it would be interpreted.

He disagreed, saying he spoke honestly with investigators and simply could not remember what was shown in the security video.

Howden, who now plays in the NHL for the Vegas Golden Knights, began testifying by videoconference last Tuesday. He testified that he was in the hotel room with several other players for a period of time that night, but does not remember many details of what happened.

All five of the accused have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault, and McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault.

• Here’s a recap of week four of the trial
• Day 20: Cross-examination focuses on Hart’s actions, Howden’s memory in junior hockey sexual assault trial

If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:

If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety, you should call 911.

A full list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling can be found ​on the website for Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada.

Helplines, legal services and locations that offer sexual assault kits in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia can be found here.

National Residential School Crisis Line: [phone]

24-hour crisis line: 416 597 8808

Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: [phone]

Trans Lifeline: [phone]

Sexual misconduct support for current or former members of the Armed Forces: [phone]

Read about your rights as a victim here.