The Ontario Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of elderly fashion mogul Peter Nygard, upholding his convictions for four counts of sexual assault and the accompanying 11-year prison sentence. The decision, handed down on Friday, effectively dashes the 84-year-old's hopes of overturning his 2023 conviction.
Appeal Dismissed
Nygard's legal team had argued that the sentence was excessive and that the trial judge made legal errors, particularly in allowing expert testimony from clinical psychologist Lori Haskell on the effects of trauma. However, the three-judge panel unanimously agreed that the admission of Haskell's evidence was a harmless error and found no other mistakes by the trial judge. The court also stated that reducing the sentence would not be appropriate.
Background of the Case
Nygard was convicted in 2023 of four counts of sexual assault, with incidents spanning from the 1980s to the mid-2000s. Victims included a 16-year-old girl. The assaults occurred at Nygard International's head office in Toronto, where he targeted unsuspecting women. Once his pre-trial custody was factored in, his sentence amounts to approximately seven more years in prison.
Further Legal Troubles
Nygard's legal woes are far from over. He still faces a trial in Quebec on sex charges and potential extradition to the United States, where he is wanted on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. A trial in New York awaits him if extradited. Additionally, Nygard had faced charges in Manitoba, but those were stayed last fall after a judge ruled that records of a police interview with an alleged victim from 1993 had been destroyed without justification, violating his right to a fair trial.
Nygard's Denials and Background
Throughout the proceedings, Nygard has denied all allegations against him. Born in Finland and raised in Winnipeg, he built a fashion empire but long faced accusations of sleazy behavior toward women. Photos obtained by the Toronto Sun showed him surrounded by scantily-clad young women at his pamper parties in the Caribbean. In 2020, he stepped down as chairman of Nygard International after U.S. law enforcement raided his New York offices. The company is now defunct.
In response to the Manitoba charges, Nygard filed a massive defamation lawsuit naming Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Winnipeg Police, and others as defendants. Those claims have not yet been tested in court.
With the appeal dismissed, Nygard's twilight years are likely to be spent behind bars, as he also faces additional legal battles in other jurisdictions.
