A judge has declared a mistrial in one sexual assault conviction of billionaire businessman Frank Stronach.
In July, Stronach was found guilty on two charges related to two women in a trial involving decades-old sexual assault allegations.
However, on Friday, his lawyer told CityNews the judge has declared a mistrial on the only count of sexual assault.
Lawyer Leora Shemesh says the mistrial on the sexual assault conviction was granted after she presented emails in court from the woman’s lawyer in a separate civil complaint that she alleged were inconsistent with testimony in the criminal trial.
Shemesh called the decision to declare a mistrial after a conviction “incredibly rare.”
The sentencing hearing was scheduled for September.
The founder of the auto parts giant Magna International had pleaded not guilty to 12 charges stemming from alleged incidents involving seven complainants, but by the time arguments in his trial wrapped up, prosecutors had withdrawn one charge and agreed Stronach should be found not guilty on four more.
The allegations spanned from the late 1970s to the 1990s.
With files from The Canadian Press
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