Sex assault complainant sobs over emotional call at Hoggard trial

Singer has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault

Warning: This story contains graphic content

TORONTO An Ottawa woman sobbed on the stand Wednesday as a court heard an emotional phone call between her and Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard that took place days after she alleges he violently raped her.

A recording of the roughly 15-minute call was played as the woman, who is one of two complainants in Hoggard’s sex assault trial, was questioned by the defence. She previously testified they spoke after she texted Hoggard that he had raped her, and that the call lasted about 30 seconds.

Hoggard, the frontman for the band Hedley, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one of sexual interference, a charge that relates to the sexual touching of someone under 16.

An agreed statement of facts says he had a sexual encounter with each of the complainants on separate occasions in the fall of 2016.

In the recording, Hoggard speaks calmly and in a soothing tone, and says the woman’s allegation by text “came out of left field” and that he thought they “had a really nice time together.”

The woman, whose voice sounds strained and distraught, says “not exactly” and adds that she experienced serious pain during the encounter and afterwards.

At various points, she indicates that his words sound rehearsed or coached, and suggests he is trying to protect himself.

The woman testified on Tuesday that she agreed to meet the singer in Toronto to have sex in November 2016, but that she did not consent to what transpired in his hotel room.

Defence lawyers suggested the woman fabricated rape allegations as a “form of revenge” after he physically injured her during consensual sex and hurt her feelings.

Megan Savard suggested she was upset because he seemed to no longer be interested in her.

“You’re also upset, I’m going to suggest, that he injured you in the course of consensual sex, you thought he was being inconsiderate not to check in with you and it added to the hurt feelings you had as a result of having been essentially dropped by this rock star,” Savard said.