Sentencing begins for former St. FX football player convicted of sexual assault

Sentencing began Friday for a former St. Francis Xavier University football player who was convicted earlier this year on two counts of sexual assault, with the Crown and defence at odds over how the sentence should be served.

Omogbolahan (Teddy) Jegede, 25, and the two women he sexually assaulted were all students at the Nova Scotia university at the times of the attacks in 2022 and 2023. Both incidents occurred on the Antigonish, N.S., campus.

Both women gave victim impact statements. One spoke from behind a screen so she couldn't see Jegede. She said she has PTSD, depression, anxiety, agoraphobia and panic attacks.

The other woman didn’t attend court, but had the Crown read her statement into the record. She wrote of how she suffers from headaches, anxiety and nightmares. She said she had to give up her summer job because of the stress.

Her mother also delivered a victim impact statement. She described how her daughter went from being a happy, excited 19-year-old to someone who was anxious, emotional and socially withdrawn.

In court, Crown prosecutor Courtney MacNeil asked Justice Frank Hoskins to sentence Jegede to 27 to 36 months in prison for both offences.

"They were difficult assaults, every sexual assault is a very, very serious matter and we treat them with the utmost care at the Crown attorneys' office and the victims certainly poignantly and eloquently described the effects of the assaults on them in their statements," MacNeil said outside court.

Jegede's lawyer, Adam Rodgers, is proposing a sentence to be served in the community.

"On the duration of sentence we're maybe not that far apart, but the Crown is looking for actual jail sentence whereas the defence is recommending a custodial sentence, but to be served in the community as a conditional sentence order," Rodgers said outside court. "So that is a pretty stark difference in some ways, yes."

In arguing for a conditional sentence, Rodgers said Jegede would serve his time in his home community of Fort McMurray, Alta., far away from where the assaults occurred and where the women are likely to be.

Rodgers read three letters of support from members of the Nigerian community in Fort McMurray who know Jegede and his family.

When given a chance to address the court, Jegede described the time since his conviction as a struggle, both physically and mentally. He also continued to maintain his innocence.

Both the Crown and defence agreed Jegede must give a DNA sample to a national database. They also accepted that his name must go in the national sex offender registry, but they differed on how long that should be. The Crown is asking for a lifetime posting in the registry, while Rodgers said the listing should be for less time.

Hoskins will deliver his sentencing decision on Dec. 17.