WARNING: This article contains descriptions┬аof sexual abuse.
Peter Nygard denied he had┬а“boxes and boxes” of condoms stored inside the┬аprivate bedroom┬аsuite of his Toronto headquarters, where┬аfive women say they were┬аsexually assaulted┬аby the one-time Canadian fashion mogul over a period from the late 1980s to 2005.
Testifying for the second day in his sexual assault trial, Nygard, 82, contradicted the testimony of the first complainant, who had previously┬аtold court that as Nygard pinned her down on the bed inside the suite, she┬аbegged him to “put a f–king condom on.”
The woman said Nygard went to a dresser in his bedroom and that she could see him grab one from an “enormous” collection of more than┬а50 boxes of condoms.
The woman testified that after Nygard┬аretrieved a condom, he sexually┬аassaulted her.┬а
Nygard has pleaded not guilty in Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice to five counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement. Justice Robert Goldstein is presiding over the jury trial.
On Thursday, Nygard’s lawyer, Brian Greenspan, questioned him┬аabout that dresser and condoms in his suite. Nygard told the court the dresser was behind a mirrored door and that┬аif someone was on┬аhis bed looking over at that┬аarea, they could not see the dresser from that vantage point.
Not ‘boxes and boxes’ of condoms, Nygard says
“At any time, sir, did you have boxes and boxes and boxes┬аof condoms located in your Finland suite in Toronto?” Greenspan asked.
“I did not,” Nygard said.
“In terms of any condoms which you might have had, where would they have been stored?” Greenspan asked.
Nygard said there were┬аlikely some in the drawers of the dresser, but there weren’t “boxes and boxes of them.”
Earlier in the week, Greenspan began his defence with an opening statement to the jury saying his┬аclient would testify and offer an “unequivocal┬аand emphatic denial” that he engaged in any sexual misconduct with the five women who have claimed they were assaulted.
The Crown contends that in the┬аfive cases тАФ which┬аinvolve women ranging in age from 16 to their late 20s тАФ Nygard used his power and status to lure them to his downtown Toronto office building, located at 1 Niagara St.
Once there, Nygard often provided a tour of the building, which would end in his private bedroom suite, which included a giant bed, televisions on walls and a Jacuzzi, court has heard.┬а
It’s inside that suite, the Crown alleges тАФ backed by each of the five women who have testified тАФ that Nygard would attack and sexually assault them.
Nygard denies anyone could get locked inside suite
Some of the complainants┬аhad┬аpreviously told court there was a┬аmirrored door leading into his bedroom, that it┬аhad no handle on the inside┬аand that Nygard punched in a security code to unlock the door from inside.
Two┬аof the women┬аtold court that they felt trapped inside that room, that they felt there was no way out. One told court that she repeatedly begged Nygard to let her out, and that he eventually relented.
On his first day of testimony on Wednesday,┬аNygard┬аdenied there was any┬аway for someone┬аto get locked inside his private bedroom suite.
Under questioning from Greenspan, Nygard said there were three exits out of┬аhis bedroom:┬аthe main mirrored door┬аthat would go to the reception area, another exit door through the bathroom and an exit through his┬аoffice.
“And under no┬аcircumstances could you ever get locked in,” Nygard said.
The trial continues.
