Sexual assault trial of former Canadian radio host begins

TORONTO (AP) — The first witness at the sexual assault trial of former Canadian Broadcast Corp. radio host Jian Ghomeshi testified Monday that he was charming before he suddenly went into a rage, pulling her hair and punching her, 13 years ago.

Ghomeshi has pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking. He has said he had consensual "rough sex" with women.

He is the former host of "Q," a popular radio show on culture that was heard across Canada and on many public stations in the U.S.Police launched an investigation in 2014 after nine women contacted various media sources to report incidents of assault and sexual assault involving Ghomeshi.

The trial began Monday, and the name of the first witness is subject to a publication ban. She said she met Ghomeshi in late 2002 and went to a taping of his then-television show "Play." After going for a drink she said he took her to his car, where after kissing her he pulled her hair violently for two to three seconds.

Despite that, she said, she went to two more tapings of his show and accepted an invitation to his home. She said after kissing him he pulled her hair again, yanked her to her knees and punched her on the side of the head."He didn't apologize, he didn't ask if I was OK," she testified. "He threw me out like trash."She said she didn't go to the police at the time because she didn't know that she could and didn't think anyone would listen.
She said went to the police more than a decade later, after police encouraged women to come forward.

Ghomeshi, who first gained fame as a member of the 1990s satirical pop band Moxy Fruvous, previously defended his actions in a 1,500-word statement on Facebook, saying women consented to having "rough sex" and that he's the victim of a disgruntled ex-girlfriend.

One of the women who contacted police was actress Lucy DeCoutere, a star of the long-running TV and film series "Trailer Park Boys." DeCoutere was the first woman to speak on the record about her allegations against Ghomeshi.

DeCoutere said she went on a date with him and alleges that when they returned to his home, he pressed her up against a wall, choked her and slapped her across the face several times.