Evidence complete after two-week trial
Jun 20, 2009 - 04:30 AM
By Jeff Mitchell
WHITBY -- Evidence in the case of a former Durham gymnastics coach accused of sexually assaulting a young student has been completed.
Superior Court Justice David Salmers has set a tentative date of mid-July to deliver judgment in the case of 39-year-old Ray Collingham, who faces 15 charges based on allegations made by a young man who is now 18.
During the course of the trial, which began June 8, the judge heard evidence from the alleged victim and his mother. Court heard the mother reported the suspected abuse to police after hacking into her son's e-mail account and finding what she said were details of sexual activity involving Mr. Collingham and the boy.
Justice Salmers also viewed videotaped statements in which the boy described in explicit detail abuse he said began with touching and escalated to sex acts.
Mr. Collingham testified in his own defence, denying he'd had sexual contact with the boy and telling the judge the incriminating messages had been either fabricated or altered by the boy's mother after she hacked into e-mail accounts.
His testimony culminated Thursday with a face-off with prosecutor Mitchell Flagg, who contended Mr. Collingham was lying about the e-mail tampering and in denying sexual contact with the boy.
Court heard Mr. Collingham met the then 10-year-old boy at a gymnastics meet and was soon coaching the promising athlete. The boy and his mother befriended Mr. Collingham and his partner, eventually sharing residences with them in Bowmanville and Newcastle.
Court heard the boy, whose identity is protected by a court order, was troubled by his parents' divorce and a turbulent home life, and confided in Mr. Collingham, forming a strong bond with the much older man.
The allegations of sexual assault arose after Mr. Collingham and the boy's mother had a bitter falling-out, Justice Salmers heard.
Final submissions by Mr. Flagg and defence lawyer Graham Clark are scheduled to take place Monday morning in Whitby.
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