TORONTO — The trial of Jacob Hoggard, the frontman for the Canadian rock band Hedley, has been pushed back to next year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hoggard, who pleaded not guilty at his preliminary hearing to sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual interference, was initially set to be tried in Toronto this month.
A new trial date was then set for April, but given ongoing court delays and restrictions related to the pandemic, it has now been postponed further to Jan. 3, 2022.
Hoggard has opted to be tried by a jury, and new jury trials in Ontario have been put on hold until at least May to limit the spread of the virus.
The pre-trial motions that were scheduled to be heard Monday will now take place in April.
The singer was arrested and charged in 2018 in connection with alleged incidents involving a woman and a teenager.
The complainants cannot be identified due to a publication ban.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
