Former World Junior Players on Trial as Woman Details Alleged Assault in London Court

London/Ontario (Rajeev Sharma)— A woman identified as E.M. resumed her testimony on Monday in a high-profile sexual assault trial involving five former members of Canada’s World Junior hockey team. Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote have all pleaded not guilty to the charge of sexual assault. McLeod faces an additional charge of being a party to the offence.

E.M. told the jury she accompanied McLeod to his room at the Delta Hotel in the early hours of June 19, 2018, after a night out at Jack’s bar. She recounted having consensual sex with McLeod, followed by a brief separation when she went into the bathroom. Upon returning, she found McLeod dressed and on his phone, which she found unusual as she assumed she would be staying the night.

Shortly after, McLeod allegedly left the room and two men she recognized from the bar entered while she was still naked on the bed. E.M. said she returned to the bathroom and, upon coming out, noticed more men had entered. Feeling deeply uncomfortable, she went back into the bathroom.

Describing the events that followed, E.M. said, “I remember they had wanted me to lay down on the floor and they had put a bed sheet on the floor… they wanted me to lay down and touch myself. They also had golf clubs in the room… they were making comments about putting golf balls in me… and asking if I could take the whole club.”

Crown Attorney Meaghan Cunningham asked how she was feeling during those moments. E.M. responded emotionally: “It’s a weird feeling of just my mind kind of separating itself from my body… I just didn’t feel like I had any control, I didn’t feel like I had a choice.”

E.M. testified last week that she had consumed two coolers at home and later had at least eight shots, a beer, and a vodka soda while at the bar. The court paused for a morning recess around 11 a.m., with testimony expected to continue.