A Calgary man on trial for a vicious sexual assault that left a woman unconscious and with severe memory loss testified this week that their encounter was entirely consensual, a claim starkly contradicted by forensic evidence and witness accounts.
Defence Testimony Describes Snapchat Connection
Kepra Udup Bang, 26, took the stand in his own defence on Wednesday at the Calgary Courts Centre. Under questioning from his lawyer, David Nguyen, Udup Bang stated he met the complainant at a family birthday party. He said the two communicated for several weeks via Snapchat before she invited him to her home in the Forest Lawn neighbourhood.
"We texted each other on Snapchat," Udup Bang testified. "She did message me one time. She said that we could meet at her place." He told the court he could not recall the exact date or time but knew it was at night.
Udup Bang described going straight to her bedroom upon arrival, where they made small talk, began kissing, and then proceeded to have sex. He claimed the entire visit lasted about an hour. When asked by his lawyer if he sexually assaulted or harmed the woman, he replied, "No, I did not."
Victim's Trauma and Witness Account
The complainant's testimony, delivered on Tuesday, painted a horrifyingly different picture. She told the court she has no memory whatsoever of the attack, which occurred on July 14, 2019. The assault was so brutal it left her unconscious for more than a week and caused her to lose memory of an entire month surrounding the incident.
A key witness testified to hearing screaming outside a residence near 44th Street and 7th Avenue S.E. that night. Looking out, she saw a woman being raped and immediately called 911. Upon arrival, police found the victim unconscious, beaten beyond recognition, and naked from the waist down.
Critical forensic evidence linked Udup Bang to the crime. DNA testing confirmed his genetic material was found on the victim. He was not arrested until February of this year, when a match was identified through the RCMP's national DNA databank.
Crown's Theory and Pending Verdict
During cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Peter Mackenzie challenged Udup Bang's story. Mackenzie suggested that Udup Bang, who was known to drink heavily and experience bouts of homelessness, came upon the victim by chance and, in a drunken state, brutally assaulted her.
Udup Bang denied this allegation, stating simply, "That's not true."
The trial has now been adjourned to allow both the Crown and defence counsel, including Gunntas Sidhu, to prepare written submissions for Justice Allan Fradsham. The Calgary Court of Justice judge is scheduled to hand down his ruling in March, deciding the fate of the accused who faces a single charge of aggravated sexual assault.
