Ghomeshi sex assault trial begins today

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The highly anticipated criminal trial of Jian Ghomeshi began today in Toronto. Ghomesi entered the courtroom wearing a black coat, white shirt and black tie.

The former host of CBC radio’s “Q” is charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking. The alleged offences date as far back as 2002. Three women say Ghomeshi assaulted them, but he says they had consensual sex that was rough.

Members of the media and the public lined before dawn to grab a seat to one of the more high profile cases in recent memory.Today we heard from one of three women who are accusing the former radio host of sexual assault.

Jian Ghomeshi entered Old City Hall in Toronto with his legal team led by Marie Henein. Once inside the crowded courtroom Ghomeshi greeted his mother then sat to hear the testimonial from the first witness, a woman who’s we cannot show due to a publication ban.

The witness told the crown that she first met the CBC radio host while hosting a CBC Christmas party in 2002. They both seemed to catch each other’s eyes and she later agreed to attend a taping of his radio show. She attended three recording of the show and remembered two occasions where he became violent. On the third visit, the two were at his Riverdale home and started kissing. She said he pulled her hair hard and punched her in the head repeatedly.  She described how he had shocked her by going from sweet and polite to pulling her hair so hard that it caused her pain.  She said quote “it felt almost like a rage that wasn’t there the second before he did it”.

She told the crown, “I’m going to end up passed out on the floor.”

The witness said Ghomeshi told her to leave, she took a cab, too shook to drive.

Then Marie Henein, Ghomeshi’s lawyer started her cross examination and she grilled the complainant and looked to discredit her. Henein questioned the witness on everything from her intent with Ghomeshi, the inconsistency between her police statements and today’s testimonials. Henein said the witness lied about the sequence of events during an prior interview on the CBC show The National.

The witnesses hair was even a topic. Henein repeatedly tried to get a straight answer as to whether the witness had extensions in her hair at the time of the first incident with Ghomeshi.

Ghomeshi is being tried by a judge only and it’s expected to last several weeks.