Not guilty plea in sexual assault case
By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on August 25, 2023.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com A Lethbridge man who is already serving two federal prison sentences for sexually assaulting several women, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual assault against another woman several years ago.The plea was entered Thursday in Lethbridge court of justice, where an agent for the accused’s lawyer said Sohil Bindra wants to be tried by a judge in the same court.
The matter has been adjourned to arrange a pre-trial conference, during which the prosecution and defence will discuss issues, determine how much time will be needed for trial, and set trial dates. The case will return Sept. 11 to confirm whether the pre-trial conference was held and if trial dates were set.
Bindra was convicted late last year on several sex-related offences against three women, and sentenced in February to 12 years in a federal penitentiary, minus the equivalent of just over four years for time he spent in remand custody. He denied the assault allegations and testified during his trial that the liaisons with the women were consensual.
During his trial in November and December of 2021, one of the women testified Bindra assaulted her in his vehicle in the spring of 2018. He was found guilty of sexual assault and administering a noxious substance, in relation to the assault against the woman.
Another woman testified Bindra sexually assaulted her after he gave her and a friend a ride home from a bar in February of 2020. He was found guilty of housebreaking and commit sexual assault, and administering a noxious substance, in relation to that woman.
A third woman told court during the trial that she was too drunk to drive home to Taber following a work Christmas party in December of 2018, and was sexually assaulted after Bindra allowed her to stay the night at his westside home. He was found guilty of administering a noxious substance and sexual assault.
In May of this year he was found guilty of sexually assaulting another woman, for which he was sentenced earlier this month to another three years in prison, to run consecutive to his 12-year sentence.
In that case the woman, who was in a relationship with Bindra in July of 2017, rejected Bindra’s advances while the two were in her home. She told Bindra she had a bacterial infection and wrapped herself tightly in her blankets and fell asleep. When she woke up later, Bindra was on top of her having sexual intercourse. She testified that when she confronted Bindra about the assault, he said he couldn’t be charged with rape because they were in a relationship.
Bindra was also facing charges of sexual assault, choking with intent, assault and administering a drug, in an unrelated case involving yet another woman. That case was set for a one-week trial beginning July 31, but the matter was brought forward to a hearing earlier the same month where the charges were stayed and the trial cancelled. Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter 4
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