Warning: coverage of the Hockey Canada trial includes details of alleged sexual assault that may be disturbing to readers. Carter Hart was cross-examined by the Crown on Friday and was shown one of the videos taken inside the hotel room, where he can be heard wanting to invite another teammate. Anthony Fava recaps what happened Friday in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial. Following a day of questioning from the defense counsel [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/accused-player-carter-hart-testifies-about-what-happened-in-hotel-room-at-hockey-canada-sex-assault-trial], it was Crown attorney Meaghan Cunningham’s turn to cross-examine Hart. Hart is one of five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team – the other four being Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote – who each face a charge of sexual assault. McLeod [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/mcleod-s-police-interview-shown-during-witness-testimony-in-hockey-canada-sexual-assault-trial] also faces an additional charge of party the offense. The players pleaded not guilty to all charges. The charges stem from a June 2018 incident [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/trial-for-former-canadian-world-junior-players-set-to-begin-tuesday-what-led-to-it-and-whats-next] in which a woman, referred to as E.M. due to a publication ban, alleges she was sexually assaulted in a London, Ont. hotel room following a Hockey Canada gala. Two videos shared in court during the trial were taken inside Room 209. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/hockey-canada-sexual-assault-trial-nhl-player-detective-testify-as-more-videos-and-texts-shown] In those videos, E.M. is heard saying she’s OK and everything was consensual after it allegedly happened. During Cunningham’s questioning of Hart, she focused heavily on the events from the hotel room, and played Hart one of those videos. It was taken at 3:25 a.m. on June 19, 2018, and shows E.M. from the shoulders up. She is asked by the man behind the camera if she is “OK with this,” to which she replies that she is. However, Cunningham pointed out that in the background, you can hear someone repeating the phrase, “I'll get Fabbs” – referring to a 2018 world junior team member, Dante Fabbro. Hart said he had said the phrase in the background. He also testified that he texted Fabbro to come to the room while he was there. Cunningham suggested it was odd that Hart would want to invite another teammate to the room, considering he had previously described the setting as awkward, with him previously alleging E.M. was consistently “chirping” the players and essentially begging them for sex. She proceeded to suggest the atmosphere among the men was actually “fun and exciting” and that he wanted his friend to experience it. “Here was a naked woman performing sex acts on anyone who wanted it,” Cunningham said. “It wasn’t shock and horror.” Hart agreed with Cunningham, saying he thought it was “pretty cool.” Hart was also asked why he took steps to get someone else in the room, and he said he didn’t know why. As for whether he invited Fabbro “to keep the party going,” Hart said that is possible. Before playing the video, Cunningham suggested it was odd to have the video filmed in the first place, that someone in that situation would only film such a video if there were “some possibility” that E.M. would later say she wasn’t consenting. Hart defended the video, voicing that it wasn’t uncommon for professional athletes to make videos in a similar manner. “Lots of professional athletes have done those things before,” Hart said. The Hockey Canada sexual assault trial is taking place at Ontario Superior Court in London, Ont. (Anthony Fava) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/714b91d0-2722-4f5e-8014-9bd872bda727.jpeg] The Hockey Canada sexual assault trial is taking place at Ontario Superior Court in London, Ont. (Anthony Fava) Hart was also questioned about what led to him getting oral sex. He testified that he heard E.M. saying "someone come f--- me." Hart said it seemed like she was giving that offer to everybody in the room and consenting to people. Cunningham pressed Hart on whether E.M. offered Hart oral sex, suggesting he didn't hear her offer it when he put his penis in her mouth. "At that time, she had offered for somebody to f--- her," Hart said. "Putting your penis in her mouth is not f---ing her, is it?" Cunningham asked. Cunningham continued to press Hart, suggesting he asked for oral sex instead of E.M. offering him it. Hart agreed, saying he asked in response what the complainant asked for. He was also questioned about potential "disrespectful behavior." On Thursday, Hart told the defense that if he had seen disrespectful behavior toward E.M. in the room, he would have left the room or said something. On Friday, Cunningham asked Hart if he had seen Dube [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/hockey-canada-sexual-assault-trial-dube-and-formenton-s-interviews-with-police-played-in-court] slapping E.M. on the buttocks or any other disrespectful behavior. Hart said he didn’t notice anything. “I think if something would have happened that she wasn’t OK with or didn’t want, I would have put a stop to it,” Hart said. “Other guys would have, I would have left. I don’t think I would have stayed in that room for as long as I did.” Cunningham pressed Hart on this, calling back to a previous part of her cross-examination where Hart said there were major lapses in his memory from the hour or so that he spent in the room due to his level of intoxication. Cunningham suggested it was possible he did see something and just didn’t remember. Hart disagreed, saying he remembers seeing no disrespectful behavior towards E.M. during his time in McLeod’s room. Accused Player Carter Hart Testifies About What Happened In Hotel Room At Hockey Canada Sex Assault Trial [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/daeb2a2a-e980-4391-bf1c-fe73ab730194.webp] Accused Player Carter Hart Testifies About What Happened In Hotel Room At Hockey Canada Sex Assault Trial Warning: coverage of the Hockey Canada trial includes details of alleged sexual assault that may be disturbing to readers. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/accused-player-carter-hart-testifies-about-what-happened-in-hotel-room-at-hockey-canada-sex-assault-trial] Cunningham also questioned the former Philadelphia Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] goaltender on Foote allegedly doing the splits with no pants on over E.M.’s face. Hart already said during his defense testimony that he remembers Foote having his pants on during that moment. However, Cunningham suggested that, given the sexual nature of the complainant’s presence in the room, just randomly doing the splits with pants on didn’t make sense. She further suggested that the men wanted to see something more “exciting.” Hart disagreed. She asked Hart if he had ever heard of the sexual term “tea bagging” and explained it is when a man dangles their testicles over a woman’s mouth. She also suggested that seeing Foote do that while doing the splits over top of E.M. would’ve been more “exciting” for the players. Hart disagreed. “That would be pretty weird,” Hart responded. The court proceedings are expected to resume on Monday when Formenton’s legal team will decide whether to call evidence or not.
