Former fashion tycoon Peter Nygard is expected to be sentenced today after he was convicted on four counts of sexual assault last fall. Seen through a police vehicle window, Nygard arrives to a Courthouse in Toronto, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
TORONTO – The delay-plagued court process of sentencing Peter Nygard for his sexual assault convictions has now been adjourned to September.
The former fashion tycoon was set to be sentenced this morning in a Toronto courtroom, but instead appeared via video link from his detention centre bed as the sentencing was rescheduled for Sept. 9.
Court heard that the matter had to be pushed back several weeks because the lead Crown attorney was out of the country on Friday and the presiding judge will be not be available for the bulk of August.
The sentencing hearing that wrapped up last week had been pushed back on several occasions, in part due to Nygard’s difficulties in obtaining and retaining legal counsel.
Nygard’s latest lawyer had argued for a six-year sentence, citing the 83-year-old’s advanced age and multiple health challenges, while prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 15 years.
Both defence and Crown had asked the court to give Nygard credit for each of the more than 1,000 days he has spent in custody so far, but prosecutors said that credit should be calculated on a one-to-one basis, rather than 1.5.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2024.
