Prosecutors in Frank Stronach’s Toronto sexual assault trial say they will only be seeking convictions on seven of the 12 charges he originally faced.
Crown attorney Jelena Vlacic says that after reviewing the evidence, the prosecution concedes it can’t meet the threshold of proof beyond a reasonable doubt on two charges of sexual assault related to two complainants.
Last week, the Crown said it would not proceed with a charge of attempted rape for the same reason.
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Prosecutors previously withdrew a charge of forcible confinement and sought to withdraw a charge of sexual assault related to the sixth of seven complainants to testify.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy suggested last week Stronach would be found not guilty on the attempted rape charge and the counts related to the sixth complainant. Defence lawyer Leora Shemesh is asking the judge to enter not-guilty verdicts on all five charges at issue.
Stronach, who is 93, initially pleaded not guilty to 12 charges related to alleged incidents stretching as far back as the 1970s.
Prosecutors finished presenting their evidence last week after calling all seven complainants and a friend of the final complainant as witnesses.
The defence is starting its case today, calling as its first witness a man related to the waterfront building where Stronach had a condo decades ago.
The trial began mid-February after some delay.
Stronach is also set to face trial in Newmarket, Ont., later this year.
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