Former Hedley singer Jacob Hoggard has been sentenced to five years in prison by Ontario Superior Court Justice Gillan Roberts.
In June, a jury found Hoggard guilty of sexual assault causing bodily harm after raping an Ottawa woman in 2016. The Crown sought out a six to seven-year sentence, however, the defence opposed and requested three to four years.
“I believe (the victim). I accept her evidence in its entirety,” Justice Gillian Roberts said in court during the sentencing.
Along with the prison sentencing is a DNA order and a 10-year ban on possessing any weapons. As well, Hoggard must register himself on the sex offender registry for the next 20 years and must not make any contact with the victim.
The victim cannot be named under a publication ban.
“I have always been told that your 20s are supposed to be full of possibilities and figuring out who you really are,” she said her in victim impact statement in early October. “The assault stole all of that away from me. While my friends went out and did fun things as normal 20-something-year-olds would do—I would lay in my bed and cry myself to sleep until I was numb. I went to sleep praying that I wouldn’t wake up the next morning.”
Hoggard will allegedly appeal the sentencing, arguing that he has a strong case. The Crown disagrees, deeming the appeal unlikely to proceed. It could take several months or years before any decision regarding the appeal is made.
Hoggard is facing a third trial for sexual assault causing bodily harm. This case is unrelated to the previous two. The victim accused Hoggard of sexual assault at a music festival in Kirkland Lake in 2016.
Hoggard was the lead singer of Hedley, a pop-punk band from Abbotsford, British Columbia, from 2003-2018. They released seven albums.
