Latest news with #courttrial
CBC
17 hours ago
- CBC
Pre-trial hearings begin for man accused of Dieppe double murder
A series of pre-trial hearings began in court Tuesday for a man accused of killing a Dieppe couple in 2019. Janson Bryan Baker, 29, faces two charges of first-degree murder. It's alleged he killed Bernard Saulnier, 78, and his wife Rose-Marie Saulnier, 74, on Sept. 7, 2019. Baker's case returned to Moncton's Court of King's Bench for the first of several days of voir dires. The hearings are being held to determine the admissibility of potential evidence at his upcoming jury trial. A publication ban prohibits reporting what is presented during the hearings. Voir dire hearings have been scheduled intermittently through the summer and fall. The trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 5, 2026 and last three months. The charges against Baker were laid in 2023 on the fourth anniversary of the discovery of the Saulniers' bodies in their Amirault Street home.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Rochdale grooming gang rapist ‘may have fled UK'
A Rochdale grooming gang member who has been on the run from police for six months may have fled Britain. Kasir Bashir, 50, was one of seven men convicted of the sexual exploitation of two white teenage girls in the town between 2001 and 2006. He was part of a gang who preyed on the vulnerabilities of young girls with 'deeply troubled home lives' to groom them as 'sex slaves' from the age of 13. Bashir, who worked as a market stall holder in Rochdale, repeatedly raped and abused a teenager at a dark, dinghy flat in Oldham. He was in his mid-20s when he exploited the young and vulnerable girl. The men – aged 67 to 41 – plied the girls with drugs, alcohol and cigarettes before expecting them to have sex 'whenever and wherever' the defendants and other men wanted, in filthy flats, on rancid mattresses, in cars, car parks, alleyways and disused warehouses. On the eve of the trial in January, he disappeared. One week later, proceedings at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court were derailed when a jury member asked questions about his absence that his defence argued showed prejudice. Bashir, from Oldham, was found guilty last month, alongside six other men, after the trial was restarted in his absence. After the trial, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) announced that an international manhunt was underway and on Sunday it emerged that Bashir may have fled Britain, although this is not certain. Bashir surrendered his passport as part of bail conditions set by a crown court judge before the trial, the Manchester Evening News reported. If Bashir, who has been on a police 'critical wanted' list since January, has left Britain he will have done so by illegitimate means, making him harder to track down. Paul Waugh, the MP for Rochdale, asked how Bashir was able to abscond and why he was not considered more of a flight risk. It is reported that he had been complying with his bail conditions – which included living and sleeping at a given address, surrendering his passport and attending Rochdale Police Station once a week – up to, and including, the Thursday before his trial. Co-defendants remanded in custody Three of Bashir's co-defendants – Mohammed Shahzad, Naheem Akram, and Nisar Hussain – were also out on bail when he went missing. Police received intelligence that the trio were planning to leave the country and they were remanded in custody ahead of the trial. They all denied the allegation, but Judge Jonathan Seely said the court was not prepared to take the risk that they might abscond. Bashir, of Napier Street East, Oldham, was convicted in absentia of multiple counts of rape and indecency with a child, referred to in press reports as Child B. Six other men from Greater Manchester were found guilty of a series of offences. Mr Waugh said: 'It is deeply alarming that this disgusting grooming gang member absconded on the eve of his trial. 'I have written to both the Ministry of Justice [MoJ] and GMP to ask exactly why a suspected child rapist like Bashir was not considered more of a flight risk or more of a danger to society. 'There are serious questions to answer about the assessment of his suitability for bail and why he was not remanded in custody. The fact that he is at large will rightly anger many of my constituents.' He added: 'Ultimately, this is a matter for the crown court judge in this case. But I have asked the justice minister to check whether there can be a review of the bail decision by the Attorney General, given the natural public interest this involves. 'Just as importantly, I want to make sure no future grooming gang trial will see a repeat of this outrage, and that all those charged with such serious offences are remanded in custody.' The MoJ and the Attorney General's office were approached by the Manchester Evening News but declined to comment.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Sean 'Diddy' Combs's' criminal conviction may not end his career
In the hours after the jury handed down its verdict in Sean "Diddy" Combs's federal court case, a video began to circulate online. It shows a group gathered outside the Manhattan courthouse. Some throw their hands up, others dance, and one squirts a bottle of baby oil on another. They appear to be celebrating Combs — who at the end of 2024 was indicted on US federal charges following a slew of civil lawsuits — being found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking, greatly reducing his potential jail time. On July 4, after weeks of trial testimony, including an emotional statement from a heavily pregnant Cassie Ventura — who settled a civil suit against her former partner Combs last year — a jury delivered its finding. The 55-year-old was guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, his least serious charges. Combs was found not guilty on two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and on one count of racketeering conspiracy. He will be sentenced in October. For the fans that gathered outside of the courthouse, it was as good as a victory. Some yelled "free Diddy" as others rushed to supply the abundant news cameras with sound bites claiming all the charges against Combs should have been struck off. The response from fans shows a path forward for the celebrity despite him being convicted of a serious crime. There's something unique about being more than just a casual fan of an artist, according to Bertha Chin, an expert in fandom subculture and a senior lecturer in media and cultural studies at Singapore National University. A strong sense of what feels like a reciprocal connection with a celebrity — otherwise known as a parasocial relationship — can lead to fans being not only engaged with an artist's work, but also "involved in the politics", she told ABC Entertainment. In recent years, parasocial relationships have become increasingly prevalent — in part because celebrities are nurturing them. "We're saturated with choices, so it's all the more important for artists and celebrities to develop a relationship with their fans. It's a mutually beneficial relationship," Dr Chin said. "Artists are promoting their latest projects or themselves, whereas fans inherently see themselves being represented by the artists, or want to achieve something towards emulating said artists." And in that relationship, there can be a blurry line between a fan defending an artist and willingly ignoring an artist's bad, or illegal, behaviour altogether. "There's been a lot of discussions … on whether fans should separate the creator from the art, that continuing to support the media does not necessarily mean that they are also supporting the actions of its creators," Dr Chin said. "It's a complex emotion, and I'd say some fans are more successful at separating the creator from the creative works than others." Fans sticking by their favourite artists even after they have been convicted of a violent crime is not unheard of. A day before Combs's verdict was handed down, thousands of music fans were lining up outside Glasgow's 50,000-plus capacity Hampden Park stadium to see Chris Brown live in concert. After a string of mid-2000s hit songs, Brown was charged with attacking his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. He pleaded guilty to felony assault over the incident, accepting a plea deal that gained him five years of probation, community service and domestic violence training. Brown has faced numerous legal issues in the years since his 2009 conviction, including an assault charge this past May. He also caused controversy in June when he posed with his hands around the neck of a female fan during a meet-and-greet. When local news outlet STV questioned the anticipatory fans waiting outside Hampden Park, some said they had no knowledge of the incident at all, some said he had changed, and one woman said she loves a "bad boy". "Both Sean Combs and Chris Brown exert a very particular kind of hyper-masculine trait that attracts a very specific type of fan," Dr Chin said. "Certain artists will attract a specific kind of following based on their image or branding … It's not really about the parasocial relationships as such, but more what fans see and understand an artist represents." Following his trial, Combs was denied bail, which means he will stay behind bars at least until his sentencing in October. After his sentence is handed down, Combs will have the option to appeal against his conviction or the sentence. Outside of the federal case, Combs is still facing 66 civil lawsuits that accuse him of sexual assault, false imprisonment, battery and more. Speaking to the Associated Press, Evan Nierman, CEO and president of crisis public relations firm Red Banyan, said he saw a path for Combs to emerge relatively unscathed, despite all of the accusations. "This is a very positive outcome overall for him. And it does give him an opportunity to try to rebuild his life," Mr Nierman said. "It won't be the same, but at least he's likely going to be out there in the world and able to move forward." While each of Combs's convicted charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years, the prosecution has pointed to sentencing guidelines that appear to recommend a prison term of a little more than five years. Combs's lawyers say the sentence should be a maximum of two years, with time served on account of music star being behind bars for more than a year. "It's a powerful thing for the hip hop mogul to go public …that the feds tried to come after him and they failed," Mr Nierman said. "I could definitely see him leaning into that." ABC/AP
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Feminist icon Gisèle Pelicot, rapper Pharrell Williams awarded France's top civic honour
Gisèle Pelicot leaves the courthouse after hearing the verdict of the court that sentenced her ex-husband to the maximum term of 20 years jail for committing and orchestrating her mass rapes with dozens of strangers he recruited online, in Avignon on December 19, 2024. Photo: Miguel MEDINA / AFP Gisèle Pelicot, who became a feminist icon by publicly testifying over the mass rapes she endured, and rapper-turned-fashion designer Pharrell Williams were among 589 people awarded France's top civic honour on Sunday. Pelicot, 72, and Williams were both named knights of the Legion of Honour on a list announced ahead of France's July 14 national day. Pelicot earned international tributes for her courage in testifying at a trial in 2024 against her former husband, who drugged her and arranged for her to be raped by dozens of men over a decade. She has since been named on lists of the world's most influential people by international media and the case helped forced a change in France's rape law. But Pelicot has remained silent since the trial. Her lawyer says she is concentrating on writing a book giving her side of the mass rape story which is to be released in 2026. Williams, 52, made his name as a rapper and singer but earned a second fortune as a music producer and after designing clothes and accessories for several brands. He has been Louis Vuitton's men's creative director since 2023. Rapper-turned-fashion designer Pharrell Williams. Photo: AFP His recent Paris show attracted a host of international celebrities, including Jay Z and Beyonce, film directors Steve McQueen and Spike Lee and football and basketball stars. Actor Lea Drucker, veteran singer Sylvie Vartan, writer Marc Levy and Auschwitz deportee Yvette Levy, 99, were also among the figures awarded the Legion of Honour along with a host of former ministers, academics and top legal names. - AFP
ABC News
6 days ago
- ABC News
Sexual assault survivors call for pre-recorded testimony laws to be expanded
Amira* describes her court experience as akin to a "second rape". "The original act of violence was essentially replicated, just in a courtroom in front of the prosecution, defence, judge and a jury of 12 people," she says. "I felt like I was the one on trial." Warning: some people may find details in this story distressing. In 2022, Amira's sexual assault case finally went to court three years after she reported the alleged crime, and six years after it had occurred. The now 26-year-old describes a "looming sense of doom" as the trial approached. "During that time my life was effectively on pause … it affected every part of my existence; my relationship, my work … there was no focus on healing. Just a lot of waiting." When her day in court came, it was worse than she anticipated. She came face to face with her accused perpetrator on multiple occasions, including any time there was a break from proceedings. During cross-examination, defence lawyers grilled her about aspects of her life that were deeply personal, including telling the court she had been taking antidepressants at the time of her alleged rape — details they had subpoenaed from her health records. "It was brutal," Amira says. During the trial, Amira barely slept, and describes being so nauseous that she struggled to keep water down, let alone food. "It was tortuous," she says. "No-one deserves to be put through what I went through." Amira, alongside other victim survivors and gender equity campaigning organisation Fair Agenda, is calling for the criminal justice system to be reformed so that complainants in sexual assault cases have the right to pre-record testimony for trials. This option is offered in Queensland and the Northern Territory and some changes are underway in Western Australia, but other states and territories are yet to follow. Extending the right to pre-recorded testimony was one of a number of recommendations made by the Australian Law Reform Commission's (ALRC) review into sexual assault cases earlier this year. "If I had the opportunity to pre-record testimony, it would have given me some control over what happened, because I felt like prey sitting in the witness box," Amira says. Criminal justice researcher Julia Quilter from the University of Wollongong has spent more than 25 years researching sexual violence, and spent a decade practising as both a solicitor and barrister in criminal law. She argues the proposed reform would be transformational for the health and wellbeing of sexual assault victims. "I think this would be a game changer. It needs to happen, because what's happening at the moment is not working." Professor Quilter reviewed 75 sexual offence trials from 2014 – 2020 in New South Wales and found disturbing patterns. Lines of inquiry that tried to undermine a complainant's character were common, including questions about their history of drug and alcohol use, mental illness or the removal of children from their care. "Those sorts of character assassinations are obviously very traumatic for complainants to have to deal with, and that's before we even get to giving evidence about the circumstances of the sexual offence," Professor Quilter says. The impact of that trauma can be profound, according to Tara Hunter, director of clinical and client services at Full Stop Australia, an organisation that provides 24-hour support to victims of sexual violence. Ms Hunter has worked as a social worker for more than 30 years and supported many clients through the court process. "What we most commonly hear is [victim survivors] feel they themselves are on trial, because of the nature of questioning and the sense of victim-blaming they feel," she says. "One of the more common responses that people experience to sexual violence is shame, so [these lines of questioning] embed the impacts of that shame response." Ms Hunter explains that for many sexual assault victims, there are psychological impacts from testifying in court, including sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, hypervigilance, and a loss of sense of safety. All of this can have wide-reaching impacts on a person's life. "It can really impact their relationships in terms of their ability to connect with people, including people who are supportive," Ms Hunter says. "I've seen people change schools, drop out, not finish their uni courses. I've witnessed so many young women's life trajectories change." Both Professor Quilter and Ms Hunter believe pre-recorded testimony has the capacity to mitigate the health impacts on complainants, in part because it reduces the potential trauma of having to be in court with the accused and their supporters. As Professor Quilter explains, complainants currently have the option to give testimony via video link, but this will often be in the court building itself. Pre-recorded testimony can also be provided much closer to the alleged incident, so that complainants are not at the whim of an "unpredictable" court system characterised by long lead times and last-minute adjournments. "All the evidence indicates that having to wait around with this thing hanging over your head for potentially some years is one of the reasons complainants can't move on with their lives," Professor Quilter says. The other advantage of pre-recorded testimony is that it can improve witnesses' recall of key details of the alleged incident. "There are potential improvements in memory because of course the longer we leave something, the harder it's going to be for anybody to recall the details," Professor Quilter says. She adds that pre-recording means questions asked during cross-examination can be "edited" at the request of the prosecution before reaching (and potentially prejudicing) the jury. This is currently permitted in Queensland and the Northern Territory and is something Fair Agenda has been pushing for in its campaign for a uniform model of pre-recorded testimony. "One key benefit of pre-recorded testimony is that the judge can remove any inadmissible or inappropriate content before it's shown to the jury," campaign manager Jacinta Masters says. "So, if the defence lawyers are relying on rape myths — such as asking about the victim's clothing or sexual history — this can be edited out." She adds that the necessary technology already exists in courtrooms across Australia, with children given the right to pre-record evidence in all states and territories. "The infrastructure is already there, so we're not starting from scratch," Ms Masters says. "What's missing is the legislation to give all survivors the right to testify on their own terms." On this point, Ms Hunter says it is important to remember that not every complainant will choose to give pre-recorded testimony. But it is important that they have the choice, she argues. While pre-recorded evidence "won't fix every problem with the justice system", Ms Masters says, it will give victim survivors more agency and control over the court process. "[This] is a crucial step towards a system that puts their wellbeing at the centre." In a statement to the ABC, a spokesperson for the NSW Attorney-General said the ALRC recommendation for pre-recorded testimony would be considered at an upcoming meeting of the standing council of Attorneys-General. A spokesperson for the Victorian Government said "we understand the trauma" and have a number of strategies. People with cognitive impairment would be able to give pre-recorded evidence in committal hearings by 28 December this year, but the spokesperson did not indicate whether pre-recorded video would be more widely implemented in the future. An ACT Government spokesperson said it was aware of the recommendation but "there are risks that [pre-recorded evidence hearings] and it could create further delay and inefficiencies in the trial process if not implemented correctly". Meanwhile, Western Australia has a bill before parliament, which will allow complainants to pre-record testimony, but only in cases where a judge agrees. The ABC also contacted the Attorney General of Tasmania but they did not respond to questions before deadline.
