Canadian auto parts magnate Frank Stronach, aged 94, is awaiting sentencing today for historical indecent assault charges. This comes amidst legal challenges to a rare post-verdict mistrial declared by the judge on Stronach’s sexual assault conviction earlier this year.
Stronach was convicted in June on charges stemming from separate allegations made by two women during his Toronto trial. The mistrial was granted by Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy following the emergence of conflicting emails from the complainant’s lawyer in a related civil case.
Stronach’s defense argued that the emails contradicted the woman’s testimony in the criminal trial. Notably, the complainant did not have the opportunity to address the court before the mistrial decision.
Now, the Crown is appealing to reinstate the guilty verdict on the sexual assault charge and seeks to return the case to Superior Court for sentencing. Initially facing 12 charges from seven complainants dating back to the late 1970s, Stronach had one charge withdrawn and was acquitted on four others. Judge Molloy also dismissed two charges related to unreliability of evidence from one complainant.
While two charges resulted in a guilty verdict, the mistrial intervened, and Stronach awaits a new trial in Newmarket, Ont., next year on a sexual assault case involving six complainants.
