The accused was charged with multiple sexual offences involving a young person in a relationship of dependency, as well as assault-related offences.
The trial centred on credibility, with the court applying the framework from R. v. W.(D.) to assess conflicting testimony between the complainant and defence witnesses.
The court accepted the complainant’s detailed and consistent evidence, finding it corroborated in part by contemporaneous writings and surrounding circumstances.
The accused’s denial and supporting testimony from family members were rejected as unreliable and biased.
The court convicted the accused on four sexual offence counts and one count of simple assault but acquitted on a separate assault count and on assault with a weapon.
