2 total
Accused acquitted of all firearms, extortion, and confinement charges due to unreliable complainant testimony.
The accused was charged with uttering threats, use of an imitation firearm, forcible confinement, and extortion relating to two separate complainants in the context of business disputes.
The first complainant alleged the accused threatened him with a gun during a dispute over a commercial lease and retained property.
The second complainant alleged the accused held him at gunpoint and forced him to sign a multi-million dollar consulting agreement related to a real estate transaction.
The court found the testimony of both complainants to be unreliable and contradicted by other witnesses, including the accused's son and lawyer, as well as documentary evidence.
The Crown failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, resulting in acquittals on all counts.
Relief denied decision
The court found S.A. guilty of sexual interference and sexual assault against his niece, D.D., who was four years old at the time of the alleged incident.
The decision turned on the credibility and reliability of the complainant’s evidence, which the court found to be internally consistent, age-appropriate, and corroborated by peripheral evidence.
The court rejected the defendant’s denial as not credible and found that the complainant’s one instance of fabrication did not undermine her overall reliability.
The verdict was based on a careful application of the reasonable doubt standard and the law on assessing the evidence of child witnesses.
