Sex assault complainant sobs as court hears emotional call with Jacob Hoggard

WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

An Ottawa woman sobbed on the stand this afternoon as a court heard an emotional phone call between her and Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard that took place days after she alleges he raped her.

A recording of the roughly 15-minute call was played as the woman, who is one of two complainants in Hoggard's sex assault trial, was questioned by the defence. She previously testified they spoke after she texted Hoggard that he had raped her, and that the call lasted about 30 seconds.

Hoggard, the frontman for the band Hedley, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one of sexual interference, a charge that relates to the sexual touching of someone under 16.

An agreed statement of facts says he had a sexual encounter with each of the two complainants on separate occasions in the fall of 2016.

In the recording played today, Hoggard speaks calmly and in a soothing tone, and says the woman's allegation by text "came out of left field" and that he thought they "had a really nice time together."

The woman, whose voice sounds strained and distraught, says "not exactly" and adds that she experienced serious pain during the encounter and afterwards.

At various points, she indicates that his words sound rehearsed or coached, and suggests he is trying to protect himself.

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Megan Savard noted the woman told the jury the call was only 30 seconds long, when it was much longer.

Savard also suggested the woman had misrepresented the contents of the call in order to win over the jury, noting the complainant previously denied Hoggard expressed concern for her or said he cared how she felt about the encounter.

The defence also indicated the woman told Hoggard she needed stitches in her vagina, which was false, and that she was going to contact a lawyer if he didn't apologize.

The woman replied that she didn't remember the call clearly because she "blocked out what happened" in order to "survive."

She acknowledged she lied to Hoggard during the call about needing stitches and possibly contacting a lawyer in an effort to get him to apologize.

"I was trying to get him to admit what he did to me" and to acknowledge its severity, she said.

The woman testified Tuesday that she agreed to meet the singer in Toronto to have sex in November 2016, but that she did not consent to what transpired in his hotel room.

She told the court Hoggard raped her anally, vaginally and orally, and at one point choked her so hard she thought she might die.

The other complainant, who was 16 at the time, has testified that Hoggard raped her vaginally and orally, and attempted to do so anally, on Sept. 30, 2016.

Neither complainant can be identified under a publication ban.