The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Judge reserves decision in sexual assault case
WAGMATCOOK — A provincial court judge has reserved decision until June in the case of a former Mi’kmaq band and regional chief charged with sexual assault.
Judge Shane Russell is now set to deliver his decision June 3 in the case of Joseph Wayne Morley Googoo, 53, who is charged with sexual assault.
The offence is alleged to have been committed between March 1-31, 2013, in We’koqma’q.
Russell reserved decision after hearing testimony from both the complainant and the accused during a provincial court hearing in Wagmatcook. The Crown was represented by Tracey Sturmy while Googoo was represented by Chris Conohan.
The female complainant, whose name is banned from publication, testified that Googoo was a long-time family friend with whom she had worked with on previous community projects during his tenure as band chief of We’koqma’q.
In March 2013, the woman testified she reached out to Googoo concerning a project she wanted to undertake.
She said Googoo sent her a text to come to his home in We’koqma’q to discuss the project.
She said it was between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. when she arrived at his home and that he was alone.
He offered her a drink of 7Up which she accepted.
“It tasted like 7Up but it felt weird,” testified the complainant, adding she didn’t remember much after drinking it.
She said she recalled staggering to the bedroom with Googoo helping her and that they sat on the bed.
The woman said Googoo took off her clothes and then raped her both vaginally and anally.
“It hurt so much,” she testified, adding when she woke up several hours later, Googoo was in the bed beside her.
She said she dressed, went home and took a shower and was having difficulty recalling what had occurred the previous night.
She knew something had happened as she was continuing to experience pain in her genital and anal areas.
She testified that wasn’t until 2020 that she began remembering what had happened.
In taking the witness stand in his own defence, Googoo denied the allegation.
He testified that he did receive a text message from the complainant in 2020 saying that she forgave him.
“I didn’t know how to reply,” said Googoo, adding he did not respond to the message.
His lawyer entered several exhibits indicating Googoo’s schedule during the time of the alleged offences that suggested he was not in We’koqma’q during the relevant time.
“There were no days when she was in my home in March 2013,” said Googoo.
In addition to being a band chief for nine terms, Googoo also served as a regional chief from 2011 until 2019 with the Assembly of First Nations.
He was removed from office after an internal investigation concluded that Googoo had discriminated and harassed women while serving as a regional chief.