Hockey Player Brett Howden Testifies in Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Trial

Strategic Insights -

Brett Howden, a former member of the 2018 Canadian world junior championship team, took the stand as a witness in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial. He testified that he remembers little about the events in the hotel room where the alleged assault took place, but what he does recall was "100 per cent consensual." However, his testimony has raised concerns about the accuracy of his recollections due to his poor memory and intoxication at the time.

Key Takeaways:

  • Brett Howden, a former member of the 2018 Canadian world junior championship team, testified in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial that what he remembers of the events in the hotel room was "100 per cent consensual."
  • Despite agreeing with the defense that the woman had asked multiple men to have sex with her, Howden claimed he did not see any non-consensual behavior.
  • The prosecution had initially sought to admit a text message sent by Howden to former teammate Taylor Raddysh in 2018, which described a sexual assault, but the judge excluded it due to concerns about its accuracy.
  • The message referred to accused player Dillon Dubé smacking a girl's ass "so hard. Like, it looked like it hurt so bad."
  • The five accused men – Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Cal Foote, and Dillon Dubé – are accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the Delta Armouries hotel in London, Ont., on June 19, 2018.
  • The complainant testified about "multiple people" taking turns slapping her "as hard as they could" and that it hurt, but was unable to identify anyone.
  • Player Tyler Steenbergen testified that he saw Dubé slap her, but agreed under cross-examination that it appeared playful and part of foreplay.

Statistics:

  • The five accused men face charges of sexual assault on a then-20-year-old woman.
  • The alleged assault took place on June 19, 2018, at the Delta Armouries hotel in London, Ont.
  • The complainant reported that the men came into the room in response to a group chat text from McLeod about a three-way.
  • Howden recalled seeing Hart and McLeod receive oral sex from the woman at different times in the night.
  • The woman repeatedly demanded to have sex with the players, according to Howden's testimony.
  • The prosecution had been trying to have the text message admitted as evidence since the trial began.

Sources:

  • www.thestar.com
  • Jacques Gallant
  • Court heard some of the men came into room 209 in response to a group chat text from McLeod about a three-way.