Sentencing hearing set to begin in Nygard sexual assault case

A sentencing hearing is expected to begin today in Toronto for former fashion mogul Peter Nygard, who was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault last fall.

The sentencing process has been delayed in part because Nygard’s two previous defence lawyers, Brian Greenspan and Megan Savard, asked to withdraw from the case earlier this year.

Nygard, who once led a multimillion-dollar clothing empire, has also faced health challenges throughout the case, and his health is expected to be raised during sentencing submissions.

He was found guilty on four counts of sexual assault on Nov. 12, but was acquitted of a fifth count, as well as a charge of forcible confinement.

The charges relate to allegations dating from the 1980s until the mid-2000s.

Nygard is also facing charges in two other provinces and the United States.

His Manitoba trial on sexual assault-related charges has been delayed in part due to Greenspan’s resignation as his defence lawyer in that case as well as the Toronto one.

Nygard, who is in his 80s, also faces one count of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in Quebec.

He was first arrested in Winnipeg in 2020 under the Extradition Act after he was charged with nine counts in New York, including sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

In May, Manitoba’s highest court dismissed Nygard’s application for a judicial review of his extradition order, finding there was no reason to interfere with the order issued by then-justice minister David Lametti.

None of the criminal charges against Nygard in Quebec, Manitoba or the U.S. have been tested in court, and he has denied all allegations against him.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2024.