ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Canada

    • Judge acquits Newfoundland lawyer on sexual assault, interference charges

    Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court building in St. John's is shown on March 29, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sarah Smellie Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court building in St. John's is shown on March 29, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sarah Smellie
    Share
    ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -

    A judge dismissed all sexual misconduct charges against a Newfoundland lawyer Thursday, saying repeated inconsistencies and falsehoods in the complainant's accounts eroded her credibility and left him unable to believe her allegations.

    Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court Justice Vikas Khaladkar delivered his lengthy verdict in a St. John's courtroom, carefully outlining his reasoning for dismissing each of the five charges against Robert Regular: four of sexual assault and one of sexual interference.

    Khaladkar pointed to evidence and testimony from other witnesses he deemed credible that contradicted the complainant's testimony. At one point he said she was "prone to pivoting when confronted by an inconsistency."

    "I am not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the offences he is accused of," the judge concluded, referring to Regular.

    The 72-year-old accused bowed his head and cried when Khaladkar acquitted him, and he was soon embraced by a succession of supporters, some of whom were also crying.

    Regular was accused of sexually assaulting the woman on four occasions between 2001 and 2013. The woman said she was between the ages of 12 and 15 when the first alleged incident occurred. In the others, she claimed Regular was trading his legal services for sexual favours.

    While reading his decision, Khaladkar went over the evidence presented throughout the trial showing that Regular's office tried to obtain payment from the woman for legal services for more than a year.

    "I do not accept that the accused attempted to curry sexual favours," the judge said. "The evidence is in the contrary."

    He also had blunt words for her claim that Regular groped her in her mother's car in a MacDonald's parking lot when she was a youth: "I'm concerned about the lack of cohesion in the complainant's testimony."

    The judge said inconsistencies are to be expected in cases involving children, but Khaladkar said the complainant's inconsistencies went beyond reasonable expectation, veering into "evidences of carelessness with the truth."

    The woman's identity is protected by a publication ban, as is standard in sexual assault cases. Regular had tried to have his name shielded from publication, but a judge refused his application for a ban in 2022.

    His lawyer, Jerome Kennedy, told reporters that the verdict vindicated their argument that "an innocent man's name was going to be dragged through the mud."

    "This should never have happened. And it happened only because of the misbehaviour of the Crown and police," Regular told reporters.

    He said he'd be back at work on Friday.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2024.

    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

    WesJet flight cancellations grew to over 800 Sunday afternoon, upending plans for close to 100,000 passengers as an unexpected strike by plane mechanics entered its third day on the busiest travel weekend of the season.

    A B.C. man who reneged on a deal to split the cost of removing a tree with his next-door neighbour is now on the hook for the whole amount, B.C.’s civil resolution has ruled.

    • Dozens of WestJet flights to and from Vancouver International Airport were cancelled Sunday, as a strike by airline mechanics continues.

    • When was the last time you spotted a butterfly in Metro Vancouver? According to Professor Michelle Tseng, sightings are becoming less common.

    • A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect Sunday for a swath of the B.C. Interior, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

    • WATCH LIVE

      WATCH LIVE

      One of the country's largest Pride events will culminate Sunday with a massive celebration. The Toronto Pride Parade will wind through the streets of the Ontario capital, with thousands expected to attend.

    • Toronto police say they're investigating a pair of suspected hate-motivated offences after two city synagogues were damaged early Sunday morning.

    • WesJet flight cancellations grew to over 800 Sunday afternoon, upending plans for close to 100,000 passengers as an unexpected strike by plane mechanics entered its third day on the busiest travel weekend of the season.

    • Emergency crews are on scene of a serious collision along Highway 36 north of Taber.

    • A fire destroyed one of Calgary’s favourite watering holes early Sunday morning.

    • The national Canada Day celebrations will be held at LeBreton Flats, while festivities are also planned on Parliament Hill and in Old Hull. Across Ottawa, Canada Day celebrations will be held in communities.

    • Ottawa firefighters rescued a woman and a child who fell into the Rideau River in south Ottawa on Sunday afternoon.

    • The owners of Urban Indian Café in Ottawa's east end are picking up the pieces of their restaurant after thieves broke in early Saturday morning.

    • A pedestrian in his 70s was struck and killed at an intersection in Brossard, on Montreal's South Shore.

    • Quebec merchants are facing another deadline to comply with new French language rules found in Bill 96 related to the size of French script on signage.

    • Canadian keeper Maxime Crepeau is among the five soccer players from Quebec making names for themselves as Canada advances to the Copa America quarterfinals.

    • A man was shot and killed by police Saturday night after a car crash in northeast Edmonton.

    • Canada Day fireworks will go off in the greater Edmonton area at 11 p.m. Monday.

    • WesJet flight cancellations grew to over 800 Sunday afternoon, upending plans for close to 100,000 passengers as an unexpected strike by plane mechanics entered its third day on the busiest travel weekend of the season.

    • At least five players with Maritime connections were selected during this weekend’s 2024 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

    • Colchester County District RCMP said a man involved in a stabbing Sunday morning in Tatamagouche, N.S., has been arrested.

    • A young filmmaker is celebrating after winning an award for his documentary “Visible.â€

    • A 31-year-old man is dead and two others are still missing after a group of boaters disappeared near Grand Rapids early Friday morning.

    • Central Park transformed into a hub for Indigenous culture on Sunday afternoon as part of this year’s Sakihiwe Festival. The free event brings music, art, fashion and heritage to inner city communities.

    • Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) crews were at the scene of a blaze in the city’s Centennial neighbourhood on Sunday morning.

    • The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be without quarterback Trevor Harris for a significant amount of time.

    • A death investigation is underway in Regina after a man died from his injuries on Saturday night.

    • Gamers from all across Saskatchewan battled it out over the weekend, making for a fun showdown at the Lazy Owl in Regina.

    • Members of a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Waterloo have broken their silence surrounding a lawsuit and injunction filed by the school.

    • From abandoned animals to an 'unbearable' living situation and a fond farewell to one of CTV Kitchener's own, here are the most-read stories of the week.

    • Starting on July 1, all drivers pulled over by Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) officers may face an alcohol screening test.

    • Significant rainfall on Thursday and Friday put a major damper on people’s long weekend camping plans at Pike Lake Provincial Park, about 40 kilometres south of Saskatoon.

    • A Saskatoon staple, Nestor's bakery, which was founded nearly a century ago and has served Ukrainian baked goods on 20th street, will be changing ownership.

    • WestJet service out of Saskatoon is grinding to a halt on Canada Day long weekend after the airline’s mechanics walked off the job on Friday, citing the company’s “unwillingness to negotiate.â€

    • Two northern Ontario drivers were stopped by provincial police for stunt on Highway 69 driving on Friday.

    • A Greater Sudbury senior says she will be homeless after being evicted from her apartment.

    • Several area athletes are heading to the Olympics in Paris and the U20 World Championships in Peru after qualifying at the Bell Track and Field Championships in Montreal Friday.

    • Fire crews were called to the scene of a detached garage fire in the 100-block of Springbank Drive late Saturday night.

    • On Saturday evening, St. Thomas police were contacted by loss prevention at a local store located at 1063 Talbot St.

    • Provincial police have confirmed that a man was found dead near the Highway 400 and Bayfield Street overpass in Barrie on Friday.

    • Officers have shut down a riding trail due to a crash in Port Severn.

    • Muskoka's first-ever annual traditional Powwow brought hundreds to Bracebridge for a weekend of First Nations culture.

    • If you're driving around Windsor and notice a group of cyclists clad in maple leaf gear, they want you to know it's part of a long-standing tradition for Canada Day among friends and family.

    • VIDEO

      VIDEO

      As Bob Stevenson approaches his 100th birthday, he continues to drive independently, tend to his garden daily, and make time to visit his 92-year-old fiancée.

    • One man is in custody after a lengthy standoff with Windsor police.

    • Dozens of WestJet flights to and from Vancouver International Airport were cancelled Sunday, as a strike by airline mechanics continues.

    • A B.C. man who reneged on a deal to split the cost of removing a tree with his next-door neighbour is now on the hook for the whole amount, B.C.’s civil resolution has ruled.

    • Dozens of WestJet flights have been cancelled at airports across B.C. Saturday after the airline's mechanics' union went ahead with strike plans Friday evening.

    • A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect Sunday for a swath of the B.C. Interior, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

    • Mounties in Kelowna say a suspect is at large after a man was stabbed in the city Sunday afternoon.

    • Police are remaining tight-lipped about a woman’s death in a Kelowna park on Friday.

    • With the recent moisture and cooler temperatures, fire bans and restrictions in the Lethbridge area are no longer in effect.

    • Plenty of tourists will descend on Lethbridge to see what the city offers. Locals, too, will have no shortage of activities this weekend.

    • The 122-year-old Raymond Stampede is set to get underway this weekend, but this year’s event will occur at a new location.

    • For the last several years Manitoulin Transport has been delivering food, medical supplies and cleaning materials to Ontario Wildlife Rescue centres across the province at no charge.

    • Sault police did nothing wrong when a man had a medical crisis while in a police cell, Ontario’s police watchdog has concluded.

    • Municipal officials and provincial police are baffled by the theft of some unique deer in the northern Ontario community of Elliot Lake.

    N.L.

    Local Spotlight

    When Zhya Aramiy was living in Turkey and Iraq, he had to keep his Pride flags hidden away.

    A rave at the Ontario Science Centre was the place where Greg LeBlanc says his relationship first began with his husband Mark in 1997.

    The city is entering the final stages of resuming water service through its repaired feeder main, as water consumption continues to fall below the city’s threshold level.

    A grandfather and grandson duo proudly graduated alongside each other at the same northern Manitoba school.

    A large basking shark was captured close to the shoreline on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.

    The world's largest hockey stick could soon become the world's most in-pieces hockey stick as a Vancouver Island community prepares to tear down and carve up the Canadian landmark.

    For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    • Summer hours are a perk small businesses can offer to workers to boost morale

      Business owners have found that offering summer hours – a reduced schedule on Fridays, usually between Victoria Day and Labour Day — can be a way to boost employee morale. Workers are able to deal with summer childcare gaps, return to the office refreshed and feel like their job values them, owners say.

    • The new airline rivalries: Air Canada vs. Porter, WestJet vs. Flair

      In a country traditionally dominated by two national airlines, a new set of aviation rivalries has emerged. Porter is increasingly moving in on Air Canada's home turf of Central Canada as well as cross-country routes, while WestJet seeks to counter the threat of Flair Airlines in a shift from the decades-old industry dynamic of sparring between the two biggest carriers.

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    • It used to be cash was king and that you could get a better deal if you paid for a car in full, but now many dealers want you to finance your purchase so they can make more money.

    • Several stolen vehicles believed to have been used in organized and serious crime, including one homicide, have been found in Alberta during an investigation into an auto theft ring.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News