A judge in Toronto has found billionaire Frank Stronach guilty of sexual assault and indecent assault. The decision came in a high-profile case involving one of Canada's wealthiest businessmen. He was acquitted on several other counts at the same time.
According to the coverage, Justice Anne Malloy delivered her decision at Superior Court in downtown Toronto. The hearing was brief, and Stronach showed no emotion as the ruling was read. He looked straight ahead at the judge throughout the proceeding.
The judge found Stronach guilty of one count of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault. He was found not guilty on three other counts. According to the report, he had initially faced a larger set of charges, totaling 12 in all.
One of the incidents at the center of the case dated back many years, according to the coverage. The judge ruled that Stronach was guilty in that incident of what was then termed attempted rape under the law at the time. The court did not release information identifying the woman involved.
A separate incident, which the report placed in 1983 or 1984, involved an allegation of groping. The judge found Stronach guilty of sexual assault in that case. That wording reflected a change in the criminal code, with sexual assault added as a term around that period.
Stronach is one of the most prominent businessmen in Canada, and the case drew significant attention because of his profile. The verdict marked a major moment in a case that had been closely followed. The complainants were not identified in the coverage of the decision.
After the ruling, Stronach's defense lawyer, Leora Shemesh, spoke outside the court. The case now moves toward the next stage following the guilty findings. Authorities had not released further details on what would come next as of the report.