Binder granted three trials
By Delon Shurtz on March 10, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com A 33-year-old Lethbridge man who was set to face more than a dozen sex-related charges during a single trial, has instead been granted three separate trials.Sohil Bindra was scheduled to begin a 14-day trial this week in Lethbridge provincial court, but Monday Calgary lawyer Andre Ouellette applied to have the charges, along with the six complainants, separated into three trials to avoid prejudicing the judge.
Ouellette believes it would be unfair to his client to have the same judge hear similar testimony from six women, stemming from separate incidents.
Judge Eric Peterson ruled Tuesday that one trial will be held for four of the women, while there will be one trial for each of the remaining two women. The matter returns to docket court Friday, ostensibly to set trial dates.
Police reported in March 2020 that an 18-year-old woman was sexually assaulted after attending a bar with a female friend on Feb. 7 of that year.
During the evening the pair met a man, and when the 18-year-old suddenly became unwell, he offered to drive the two friends to their homes. After taking the 18-year-old inside, the man left the residence.
He returned a short time later, however, entered the home and sexually assaulted the woman, police said.
She was taken to Chinook Regional Hospital for treatment and released later in the day.
Police searched a suspect’s home and recovered evidence related to the offence, including the victim’s cellphone.
Bindra, who is in custody but attended court in person Monday and Tuesday, initially faced a single charge of housebreaking and two counts of sexual assault in relation to one woman, and had been released on bail.
However, more charges were added later after five more women came forward and said they had also been sexually assaulted. One of the alleged assaults goes back to July 2017.
The accused was taken into custody last March when he attended a court hearing and was subsequently denied bail.
Bindra pleaded not guilty the same month to 14 charges, comprising housebreaking and commit sexual assault, sexual assault, administering a noxious substance, drug possession and choking with intent to commit an indictable offence.
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