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Defence Opens Case as Carter Hart Testifies in Ex-World Juniors’ Sexual Assault Trial

Carter Hart testified that the woman actively participated, marking the start of the defence case after the Crown rested on May 29.

Image
Former members of Canada's 2018 World Juniors hockey team, left to right, Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé and Carter Hart as they each arrived at court on April 30.
Demonstrators from the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo were outside the courthouse today, holding signs in support of E.M., the complainant.
Carter Hart is shown in this courtroom sketch in London, Ont., on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

Overview

  • Prosecutors formally closed their case on May 29 without calling additional witnesses, shifting the burden to the defence.
  • Carter Hart was the first defence witness, claiming he and teammates were invited to the hotel room and that all acts were consensual.
  • Hart testified he received a group text and phone call from Michael McLeod inviting players for a threesome and saw the complainant initiate sexual acts.
  • The Crown is set to cross-examine Hart on Friday, probing inconsistencies between his account and 2018 police interviews.
  • The trial continues to hinge on contested consent in the June 2018 encounter and the implications of the initial 2019 police probe that closed without charges.