Court of Queen's Bench Lethbridge

By Lara Fominoff

Father charged with incest, sexual assault denies all allegations *Graphic Content*

Jan 20, 2020 | 1:40 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A 54-year-old Raymond -area father charged with one count each of sexual assault, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, and incest, took the stand in Court of Queen’s Bench in Lethbridge Monday morning (Jan. 20).

He denied all the accusations against him.

His Defense Lawyer Wade Hlady briefly outlined to the judge and jury that he expected his one and only witness to answer questions about his role in the breakdown of his marriage, and his role as a father.

Speaking in a matter of fact manner, the accused told the court he had never touched, had sex with or acted in an inappropriate sexual way near or with his biological daughter who was between 9 and 13 when the alleged incidents occured.

The man testified that during his marriage to the alleged victim’s mother, he and his three children (two biological and one stepchild) were “always doing fun stuff,” including fishing, camping, wrestling and learning how to drive.

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The man said his marriage suffered over the years, with a breakdown in communications, his intermittent employment, and anger issues. By the time the victim was nine years old, the mother and accused were no longer sleeping together.

The situation came to a head one night when both parents sat the three children down and told them he was moving out. The boys didn’t say much, but the daughter said, “it’s not like we’re not going to see dad again.”

The accused told the court that prior to the family break-up he and his young daughter would go driving; sometimes with her brothers, other times alone. The young children, including the victim, would sit on his lap as he commanded the brake and accelerator pedals.

“Did you ever touch her front part?” asked Hlady.

“No,” he answered.

“Did you ever rub your penis on her,” Hlady continued.

“Not on purpose, no,” he answered.

He did admit that he made deals with his children at times as the victim had previously testified, but not for sexual favors. He would buy things like ice cream or Subway sandwiches- if they completed their chores.

The father also admitted to wrestling with his children, including the victim, but said he never did so with a sexual purpose in mind, and in fact the victim appeared to enjoy the contact.

“Was it fun?” asked Hlady.

“Yes,” he answered.

“Did you ever touch any of her private parts?” he continued.

“It could have been accidental,” the man answered.

The accused also described how he and his young daughter would sleep together in their camper, and that sometimes when she became scared at night, she would come to his bedroom and sleep with him. At all times, he said, he was wearing pyjama bottoms or jogging pants.

One another occasion, Hlady asked whether he taught the girl to shave her legs when she was 9 or 10. He answered that the mother thought the girl was too young, so the girl went into a jacuzzi tub where he helped to lather her legs, and show her how to shave.

During cross examination, Co-Crown Prosecutor Michael Fox, suggested to the accused he threatened the victim, bribed her, and hurt her when she wanted the abuse to stop, to which he answered, “no.”

Fox also suggested to the accused that the abuse began when relations between he and his wife had ceased, to which he also answered no.

“Mr. (Z)*, I’m going to suggest that everything that she said…is accurate, isn’t it?” pressed Fox.

“No,” the accused answered.

Both the Crown and the Defense will present their closing arguments to the jury Tuesday morning (Jan. 21). Justice M.P. Sullivan will then give charge to the jury of seven women and five men.

*LNN has used the letter Z in place of the accused’s name.