Man accused of 2016 sexual assault testifies in court

(File photo) Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench

Warning: Contains graphic content

A man accused of a violent sexual assault in March of 2016 took the stand at Court of Queen’s Bench on Tuesday.

Gioulian Nikdima, 49, was charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm after the incident.

A woman, who was 45 years old at the time of the assault, alleges she met Nikdima after connecting with him on Plenty of Fish, a dating website.

The Crown and accused agreed the pair met at French Press in Regina for their date. After, the pair drove to Lancaster Taphouse in Nikdima’s vehicle and later, Nikdima drove them to a rural area outside of Regina.

While in the rural area, the woman said she was violently raped by Nikdima.

During cross-examination on Tuesday, Nikdima told court he asked the woman if she wanted to go for a walk and she agreed. He drove them outside of the city and Nikdima told court they kissed and the woman said she wanted to have sex with him in his car.

Nikdima testified that he had consensual sex with the woman and then drove her back to her own vehicle. When he contacted her again, Nikdima testified, the woman had blocked him on the dating website.

The Crown told court the complainant didn’t agree to go on the walk with Nikdima, saying she didn’t know where they were going when he started driving out of town. The Crown added the woman didn’t agree to kiss Nikdima and was violently raped in his vehicle.

The woman went to the hospital two days later for a sexual assault exam. According to the Crown, the woman has bruising, tearing and three-centimetre lacerations on her anus.

The woman testified in court in 2018.

The Crown also said Nikdima gave police different information in 2016 than he testified in court on Tuesday.

Nikdima told court he forgot certain details when speaking with police at the time.