The Hockey Canada sexual assault trial continues to make headlines, with attention now turning to Brett Howden, a player for the Vegas Golden Knights. Although he is not one of the accused, his role as a witness has raised questions. The Crown, which is the prosecution in this case, believes that Howden might be avoiding some truths while testifying in court.
This trial involves five former Hockey Canada junior team players facing serious charges related to a 2018 incident in London, Ontario. The players have denied all allegations.
What Is the Hockey Canada Trial About?
The case revolves around an incident from June 2018 after a Hockey Canada gala. A woman, referred to in court as E.M., says she was sexually assaulted in a hotel room by several players from the 2018 World Junior hockey team. The accused include Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote.
All five have pleaded not guilty. McLeod is also facing an extra charge related to being part of the assault.
Brett Howden’s Role in the Case
Brett Howden, who was part of the same 2018 junior team, is not charged with any crime. However, he was present during some parts of the night in question and is now testifying as a witness. The Crown attorney, Meaghan Cunningham, raised concerns that Howden may be trying not to remember events that could harm his friends’ cases.
According to Cunningham, Howden had difficulty remembering details that would potentially be damaging to the accused players. She also showed several examples where his court testimony didn’t match earlier statements he made to police or texts he sent to friends back in 2018.
Inconsistencies in Howden’s Statements
The Crown pointed out 18 different instances where Howden’s current testimony did not match his past statements. One key example involved a text message where Howden talked about Dube slapping the woman’s backside, which he later said he didn’t remember seeing.
Another moment of inconsistency involved Formenton. In court, Howden said Formenton casually asked his teammates if he should go into the bathroom with the woman. But in earlier statements, Howden said Formenton asked things like, “Am I allowed to do this?” and “Will I get in trouble for this?”
Howden also couldn’t recall the woman crying or trying to get dressed again, even though he had mentioned those things before.
What Did the Defense Say?
The defense lawyers argued that Howden wasn’t lying on purpose. Instead, they claimed he was just not a very good or reliable witness. Some of the defense lawyers even said that Howden was “unsophisticated” and confused, not dishonest.
One lawyer pointed out that sometimes Howden said he didn’t remember seeing something, while in the past he said he couldn’t rule out the possibility it happened. They said that being unclear is different from being inconsistent.
What Did the Judge Say?
Justice Maria Carroccia, who is in charge of the trial, reviewed the situation carefully. She said she did find four real inconsistencies in Howden’s testimony. However, she did not agree with the Crown’s claim that Howden was pretending to forget things. She felt there wasn’t enough proof to say he was being dishonest on purpose.
The judge will now wait for discussions between the Crown and the defense to finish before deciding if the Crown can cross-examine Howden again. The trial is set to continue on Thursday morning.
The Hockey Canada sexual assault trial is one of the most closely watched court cases in the sports world right now. With new testimony coming in, especially from people who were there but are not charged, the case continues to evolve. Brett Howden’s unclear memory may have created more questions than answers, and how the court handles it next could be crucial for the trial’s outcome.
