Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty on two out of three counts after jurors reached a verdict in the sex assault trial of the former Hedley lead singer.
He was found guilty on one charge of sexual assault causing bodily harm to a young Ottawa woman.
Hoggard was found not guilty of sexual interference and sex assault causing bodily harm to a 16 year old.
The Crown’s request to revoke Hoggard’s bail until his sentencing was rejected by Ontario Superior Court Justice Gillian Roberts, who said stricter conditions were warranted and noted the musician would likely face a prison sentence.
A hearing on bail is scheduled for Monday morning, with a sentencing hearing expected this summer
Prosecutors alleged Hoggard groped a 15-year-old fan after a Hedley show in Toronto in April 2016, then violently raped her in a Toronto-area hotel room later that year, after she turned 16.
They alleged he violently raped an Ottawa woman in a Toronto hotel in November 2016. Both complainants testified they were left bleeding and bruised.
Hoggard testified during trial that he had consensual, “passionate” sex with the complainants, and his lawyers allege the women made up the allegations after being rejected by the singer.
The women however say Hoggard slapped them, spit in their mouths and called them derogatory names. They also said testified he choked them.
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The crown urged jurors to consider similarities between the events recalled by the two complainants who had never met or spoken to each other. They argued they reflected a pattern of conduct.
Deliberations began Tuesday afternoon.
Hoggard hugged his wife in the courtroom after the verdict was read. She wiped tears away from her eyes as he returned to his seat in a dark coloured suit.
The jury appeared to be composed of 10 men and two women.
In March, Hoggard was charged in another alleged sexual assault for an incident alleged to have taken place on June 25, 2016 in Kirkland Lake, ON.
The new charge is due back before the court on Aug. 4.
— With files from the Canadian Press
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