KEY VIDEO ADMITTED IN ST. MIKE’S SEX ASSAULT CASE

A key piece of video evidence at the trial of a teen accused of sexually assaulting two students at an all-boys Catholic school in Toronto is admissible, a judge ruled Tuesday. A 22-second video of a sex assault that occurred in a football team locker-room at St. Michael’s College School has been shown in court. The accused teen has pleaded not guilty to two counts each of gang sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon and assault with a weapon. Defence lawyer Geary Tomlinson had argued the video should be inadmissible because the Crown had not demonstrated the source of the video and thereby failed to authenticate it. Justice Manjusha Pawagi disagreed and said the Crown has fulfilled its obligation to authenticate the video through witnesses who described similar events on Nov. 7, 2018.