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Judge Allows Coaching Inquiry After Late Disclosure Delays Stronach Trial

Late statements paired with officer notes prompted the defence to allege an abuse of process.

Overview

  • Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy permitted the defence to question a police officer who observed a Jan. 20 witness‑preparation meeting despite Crown objections calling such an examination an “extreme error.”
  • Defence lawyer Leora Shemesh said she will seek a stay of proceedings alleging some witnesses were coached by prosecutors, with any stay motion to be argued at the end of the trial.
  • The Toronto proceeding was adjourned after the defence received late, voluminous disclosure that included videotaped interviews, new statements from all complainants, and the officer’s notes.
  • Prosecutors told the court there is no basis for abuse‑of‑process or misconduct claims, opposing the defence’s bid to probe the issue at this stage.
  • Stronach, 93, faces 12 charges involving seven complainants over alleged incidents from the 1970s to 1990s and denies the allegations, with a separate case still scheduled later this year in Newmarket, Ontario.