Crown and defence rest in Robert Sheaves trial

The Crown and defence in Robert Sheaves’ sexual assault trial are scheduled to make final submissions on July 30, after both sides finished calling witnesses on Thursday, the second day of the trial in Iqaluit.

On Thursday, defence lawyer Scott Cowan cross-examined the complainant in the case, a woman now in her late teens who alleged Sheaves sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions in 2021 and 2022. A court order prohibits the publication of her identity.

On cross-examination, Cowan questioned the young woman’s memory of events and highlighted her apparent drug use.

The young woman had testified as a Crown witness on Wednesday, the first day of the trial. In a police video statement played in court, she said people used to go to Sheaves’ home to get cigarettes and money. She alleged that Sheaves sexually assaulted her when she was there.

The defence began and ended its case Thursday with Sheaves, who faces four counts of sexual assault and four counts of sexual interference, taking the stand in his own defence.

“Mr. Sheaves testified that he had a virtual open-door policy at his home, but never once committed any offence against anyone. He was generous with food, rides, and money and some sought to take advantage of that. When he cut them off, he was charged,” Cowan told Nunatsiaq News on Thursday after he finished calling witnesses.

Under cross-examination, the teen admitted her memory was unclear and said she was high on drugs during a Feb 24, 2022 video statement she gave to the RCMP. That statement was played in court Wednesday, as a key part of the Crown’s evidence.

On Wednesday, portions of the teen’s video statement were played by Crown lawyers. At one point, the teen is heard to say, “I’m tripping out.”

Cowan also suggested that the teen had made up portions of her video statement, implying, for instance, that Sheaves had never touched her breasts.

“It did happen,” she said.

“He actually did touch your breasts?” Cowan asked.

“Yes,” she said.

During Cowan’s questioning, the young woman seemed confused by some of his questions, sometimes contradicting herself.

“What drugs do you do sometimes?” Cowan asked

“I just do marijuana,” she said.

But later she admitted to sometime asking her friends for different types of drugs, including magic mushrooms.

Cowan suggested she had been high on mushrooms during her 2022 statement to police. She repeated she could not remember.

During his cross-examination, Cowan asked the young woman if Sheaves would help community members with money or business matters, and she replied yes.

Cowan also suggested young people would visit Sheaves to use his wifi connection.

“Young people would go over and sit in [Sheaves’] living room with iPads or smartphones and watch YouTube and Tik Tok?”

“Yes,” she said.