Jacob Hoggard has begun serving prison sentence after appeal dismissed

TORONTO -- Jacob Hoggard's lawyers say the former Hedley frontman is now serving his sentence after Ontario's top court dismissed his appeal of his sexual assault conviction.

The musician's legal team says he surrendered into custody before the ruling was delivered today.

In a statement, the lawyers say that while they maintain Hoggard's trial was unfair, they respect the court's decision and will be reviewing the judgment to determine their next steps.

The appeal court unanimously upheld Hoggard's conviction despite finding his trial should not have heard the evidence of a psychologist who testified on the neurobiology of trauma.

Hoggard, the former frontman for the band Hedley, 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.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2024.