Sentencing proceedings commenced on Friday for a former St. Francis Xavier University football player found guilty earlier this year of two counts of sexual assault. The Crown and defense are in disagreement over the type of sentence to be imposed.
Omogbolahan (Teddy) Jegede, aged 25, and the two women he assaulted were all students at the Nova Scotia university during the incidents in 2022 and 2023, which took place on the Antigonish, N.S., campus. Both victims presented impact statements, with one speaking from behind a screen due to PTSD, depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, and panic attacks caused by the assaults. The other victim did not appear in court but had her statement read by the Crown, detailing how the assaults led to headaches, anxiety, nightmares, and the loss of a summer job due to stress.
During court proceedings, Crown prosecutor Courtney MacNeil urged Justice Frank Hoskins to impose a 27 to 36-month prison sentence for both offenses, emphasizing the severity of sexual assaults and the profound impact on the victims. In contrast, Jegede’s lawyer, Adam Rodgers, proposed a community-based sentence, suggesting a conditional sentence order served in Jegede’s hometown of Fort McMurray, Alta., far from the assault locations and victims.
Rodgers presented letters of support from members of the Nigerian community in Fort McMurray who know Jegede and his family. Jegede, maintaining his innocence, described the post-conviction period as a physical and mental struggle when given an opportunity to address the court.
Both the Crown and defense agreed that Jegede must provide a DNA sample to a national database and be listed in the national sex offender registry, although they differed on the duration. The Crown advocated for a lifetime registry listing, while Rodgers proposed a shorter period.
Justice Hoskins is scheduled to announce the sentencing decision on December 17.