Court of Appeal for Ontario

CITATION: R. v. Chhabra, 2026 ONCA 284[^1]

DATE: 20260417

DOCKET: COA-25-CR-0576

Fairburn A.C.J.O., Monahan and Osborne JJ.A.

BETWEEN

His Majesty the King Respondent

and

Deepak Chhabra Appellant

Lakhwinder Sandhu, for the appellant

Stephanie Pak, for the respondent

Heard and rendered orally: April 15, 2026

On appeal from the conviction entered by Justice Allan G. Letourneau of the Ontario Court of Justice, on April 21, 2023, and from the sentence imposed on May 29, 2025.

Reasons for Decision

[1] This is an appeal from conviction for sexual assault. The appellant raises a number of issues alleging errors of fact and law. The appellant characterizes his primary submission as being that the trial judge applied uneven scrutiny to his evidence and the evidence led by the Crown.

[2] This offence occurred in the context of an Uber ride. The trial judge made findings of fact and credibility that were entirely within his domain. The appellant contends that the trial judge failed to give sufficient weight to the Uber receipt. According to the appellant, this receipt is exonerating in nature because it shows that the ride went directly from the pick-up to the drop-off location.

[3] We disagree.

[4] The trial judge turned his mind to that evidence and resolved it, finding that the receipt did not accurately reflect the route taken. He provided cogent reasons for coming to that finding of fact. We would defer to his fact-finding in that regard.

[5] The appeal is dismissed.

"Fairburn A.C.J.O."

"P.J. Monahan J.A."

"P.J. Osborne J.A."

[^1]: This appeal is subject to a publication ban pursuant to s. 486.4 of the Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46.