Ghomeshi trial starts; exhibits an issue

Before he was sacked by Canadian public broadcaster CBC over the scandal, Ghomeshi’s top-rated arts magazine radio show Q was heard across Canada and in more than 180 cities in the United States.

Ghomeshi has pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual assault – two of which relate to the woman who is testifying – and one count of overcoming resistance by choking.

A woman who testified that she went to great lengths avoiding any contact with Jian Ghomeshi after he allegedly attacked her acknowledged during intense cross-examination on Tuesday that she sent him flirtatious emails long after their encounters. She said that they kissed then he pulled her hair again but he suddenly yanked her to her knees then puncher her on the side of the head.

The first witness, whose name is subject to a publication ban, testified Monday that Ghomeshi pulled her hair and punched her in the head at his home 13 years ago. And Henein drove home the point that the woman had said, repeatedly, that she would turn off the radio or television if Ghomeshi appeared, as it only served to re-traumatize her and force her to relive the violence.

“I don’t agree with that”.

Those include whether Ghomeshi smashed her head against a vehicle window, or whether she was wearing hair extensions at the time of the alleged incident.

“I wanted to be supportive, to encourage others to come out”, Hounslow told The Guardian.

“So it’s good to let them know that they are going to try to discredit you, they are going to try to trick you, they are going to try and make it sound like you’re making things up – just focus on the question, just give your answer”.

In a key moment, Henein read out chatty emails between the witness and Ghomeshi that the witness sent after she said Ghomeshi beat her on the head and she cut off all contact with him.

Ghomeshi’s desfense attorney sought to discredit the alleged victim’s story in court today, attempting to suggest she lied to police by giving them “different versions” of the alleged assault.

The witness claimed that her only motivation for sending the emails was to trick Ghomeshi into calling her. “It was that one incident that I had had”, she said of the first hair-pulling.

As she told police in her November 1, 2014 statement, “I left and I didn’t come back and I didn’t have any more dealings with him after that”.

She pointed out that she met Ghomeshi back in 2002 when she was a server at a CBC party. He has denied the charges and said that they were all consensual as they were having “rough sex”.

Legal pundits said the trial by judge will revolve around consent.

If convicted of sexual assault, Ghomeshi faces a maximum sentence of 18 months behind bars.

“What is potentially unique here is in addition to the statement or statements to the police or examined by the crown you also have statements made to the CBC and the Star that obviously creates the potential for further inconsistencies”, Craig said. The choking count carries the steepest possible penalty, of several years in prison.

Horkins said even sensitive exhibits such as video and audio recordings would, as a rule, be made available.