The Crown is challenging a rare post-verdict mistrial declared recently in Frank Stronach’s sexual assault case. The billionaire entrepreneur was convicted in June of sexual assault and historic indecent assault charges from two women in his Toronto trial. The mistrial on the sexual assault charge was granted by Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy after introducing emails from the woman’s lawyer in a separate civil complaint. Stronach’s lawyer, Leora Shemesh, claimed that these emails contradicted the woman’s testimony during the criminal trial.
The Crown has filed a notice of appeal, arguing that Justice Molloy made errors in assuming communications were protected by solicitor-client privilege without exploring potential exceptions and in stating she couldn’t address the credibility concerns raised during the mistrial application. They are seeking to reinstate the guilty verdict for sexual assault and return the case to Superior Court for sentencing.
Initially facing twelve charges dating back to the late 1970s to 1990s involving seven complainants, Stronach saw one charge withdrawn and was found not guilty on four others. The judge dismissed two charges due to unreliable evidence from one complainant, resulting in Stronach being convicted on two counts. Sentencing for the indecent assault conviction is scheduled for September.
Shemesh expressed disappointment in the Crown’s decision to challenge the judge’s order, labeling it a misuse of court resources when they could simply retry Stronach. She criticized the appeal as potentially politically motivated, likening it to an unending “witch hunt.” Frank Stronach, the founder of Magna International, still faces another sexual assault trial next year involving six complainants.