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TORONTO — Jacob Hoggard, the frontman for the Canadian band Hedley, has been found guilty of sexual assault causing bodily harm against an Ottawa woman but acquitted of the same charge against a teenage fan.
Both complainants testified they were left bleeding and bruised. They each said Hoggard slapped them, spit in their mouths and called them derogatory names such as “slut” and “whore” during the encounters, and that he restricted their breathing at one point. "I knew when she turned 16,” Hoggard testified, adding he made sure “to be responsible and not break the law."
The jury, which appeared to be composed of 10 men and two women, began deliberating last Tuesday and twice indicated it was deadlocked on “some” counts. Each time, jurors were asked to keep trying. They went on to replay the bulk of the testimony given by the two complainants and Hoggard, and asked several questions on legal issues, many related to consent.
Hoggard’s lawyers described him as an insecure, flawed man who sought validation from women through frequent one-night stands while touring, even while in a relationship. He had amassed a roster of women in various cities and would get in touch with them when he was in town, at times arranging transportation to bring them to his hotel, they said.