So you went hiking in Afghanistan and you met the Taliban
- Thread starter tay
- Start date
I think you fantasize about it much more than I do. If you don't recall all I did was relate the news report, although I have to admit I did kind of admire the guy who did it!
Maybe just amount on their pay cheque!That would interfere with lawyer paydays.
Next!
If I recall correctly, I think "bragging" was your term. I don't recall all the details but I seem to recall saying if I was in "his boat" I might respond the same way. If you disagree with that, TOUGH!
OR find the post and we'll take a look at it.
Yeah, you "don't recall," then in the same sentence you "seem to recall." And you'll stand on that.If I recall correctly, I think "bragging" was your term. I don't recall all the details but I seem to recall saying if I was in "his boat" I might respond the same way. If you disagree with that, TOUGH!
Seriously, you need to get that looked at. Confusion and memory loss. Pretty classic symptoms.
Hey, don't be a jerk all your life. This happened in 1983 and I only know the year because of where I was working at the time. Don't be stupid, there's aspects I recall and aspects I'm vague about. It MAY have happened near Port Coquitlam.
Joshua Boyle trial delayed by Supreme Court rulings on sexual-history evidence
Canadian Press
Published:
July 2, 2019
Updated:
July 2, 2019 6:50 PM EDT
In this Oct. 31, 2017 file photo, Joshua Boyle speaks to the media after arriving at the Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Nathan Denette / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
OTTAWA — The sexual-assault trial of former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle is dealing with more concerns about admitting evidence of the alleged victim’s past sexual history.
Boyle, 35, has pleaded not guilty to offences allegedly committed against his wife, Caitlan Coleman, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement.
The offences are alleged to have occurred in late 2017, after the couple returned to Canada following five years as captives of Taliban-linked extremists who seized them during a backpacking trip in Asia.
Boyle defence allowed to question Coleman about sexual history, judge rules
Coleman, who is now estranged from Boyle, was to be cross-examined Tuesday following a weeks-long delay over what evidence of their sexual history could be raised by the defence.
An Ontario Superior Court judge ruled in early June that Boyle’s lawyer could introduce some of that history, which is unusual in sexual-assault cases.
However the cross-examination was delayed at least a day and a half pending a hearing to determine the admissibility of evidence the court has already heard about certain consensual sexual activity between Boyle and Coleman. The Crown introduced that material during Coleman’s direct testimony in March.
Judge Peter Doody raised six specific circumstances the Crown asked Coleman about that are not the subject of the charges against Boyle. He said he’s concerned about the impact on the admissibility of that evidence of two decisions from the Supreme Court of Canada that have been delivered since Coleman testified.
In May, the Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Bradley Barton, an Ontario trucker acquitted of first-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2011 death of Cindy Gladue in Alberta. In that case the top court raised questions about information entered into evidence about the victim by both the Crown and the defence, which was said to be prejudicial against her.
And just last week, the high court ordered a new trial for Patrick John Goldfinch, who had been acquitted of a 2014 sexual assault. The Supreme Court said information about a past sexual relationship between the alleged victim and the accused should not have been entered into evidence and refined the rules for when such evidence is acceptable.
Defence lawyer Lawrence Greenspon argued that three of the six circumstances had been well covered by the Ontario Superior Court decision.
The remaining three, as well as one piece of physical evidence, will be the subject of a hearing before Doody Wednesday morning. He granted Coleman’s lawyer, Ian Carter, standing to present arguments as well. In doing so Doody is allowing Carter the unusual chance to consult with his client in the middle of her testimony but limiting him to only asking her whether she has any concerns for her personal dignity and privacy if the material remains in evidence.
Coleman will not be cross-examined until Doody makes a decision on the evidence. That could happen as early as Wednesday morning, paving the way for Coleman to return to testifying late Wednesday morning or in the afternoon.
Greenspon says he cannot cross-examine Coleman until the decision is made because some of his questions pertain to the evidence that’s now in question.
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/jo...reme-court-rulings-on-sexual-history-evidence
Canadian Press
Published:
July 2, 2019
Updated:
July 2, 2019 6:50 PM EDT
In this Oct. 31, 2017 file photo, Joshua Boyle speaks to the media after arriving at the Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Nathan Denette / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
OTTAWA — The sexual-assault trial of former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle is dealing with more concerns about admitting evidence of the alleged victim’s past sexual history.
Boyle, 35, has pleaded not guilty to offences allegedly committed against his wife, Caitlan Coleman, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement.
The offences are alleged to have occurred in late 2017, after the couple returned to Canada following five years as captives of Taliban-linked extremists who seized them during a backpacking trip in Asia.
Boyle defence allowed to question Coleman about sexual history, judge rules
Coleman, who is now estranged from Boyle, was to be cross-examined Tuesday following a weeks-long delay over what evidence of their sexual history could be raised by the defence.
An Ontario Superior Court judge ruled in early June that Boyle’s lawyer could introduce some of that history, which is unusual in sexual-assault cases.
However the cross-examination was delayed at least a day and a half pending a hearing to determine the admissibility of evidence the court has already heard about certain consensual sexual activity between Boyle and Coleman. The Crown introduced that material during Coleman’s direct testimony in March.
Judge Peter Doody raised six specific circumstances the Crown asked Coleman about that are not the subject of the charges against Boyle. He said he’s concerned about the impact on the admissibility of that evidence of two decisions from the Supreme Court of Canada that have been delivered since Coleman testified.
In May, the Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Bradley Barton, an Ontario trucker acquitted of first-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2011 death of Cindy Gladue in Alberta. In that case the top court raised questions about information entered into evidence about the victim by both the Crown and the defence, which was said to be prejudicial against her.
And just last week, the high court ordered a new trial for Patrick John Goldfinch, who had been acquitted of a 2014 sexual assault. The Supreme Court said information about a past sexual relationship between the alleged victim and the accused should not have been entered into evidence and refined the rules for when such evidence is acceptable.
Defence lawyer Lawrence Greenspon argued that three of the six circumstances had been well covered by the Ontario Superior Court decision.
The remaining three, as well as one piece of physical evidence, will be the subject of a hearing before Doody Wednesday morning. He granted Coleman’s lawyer, Ian Carter, standing to present arguments as well. In doing so Doody is allowing Carter the unusual chance to consult with his client in the middle of her testimony but limiting him to only asking her whether she has any concerns for her personal dignity and privacy if the material remains in evidence.
Coleman will not be cross-examined until Doody makes a decision on the evidence. That could happen as early as Wednesday morning, paving the way for Coleman to return to testifying late Wednesday morning or in the afternoon.
Greenspon says he cannot cross-examine Coleman until the decision is made because some of his questions pertain to the evidence that’s now in question.
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/jo...reme-court-rulings-on-sexual-history-evidence
Ex-hostage Joshua Boyle’s lawyers want charge of misleading cops thrown out
Canadian Press
Published:
September 3, 2019
Updated:
September 3, 2019 1:39 PM EDT
Joshua Boyle arrives at court in Ottawa on Monday, March 25, 2019. Lawyers for former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle want a judge to toss out a charge that he misled police -- one of several criminal counts he faces in Ontario court.Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — Lawyers for former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle want a judge to toss out a charge that he misled police — one of several criminal counts he faces in Ontario court.
Boyle, 36, has pleaded not guilty to offences against estranged spouse Caitlan Coleman, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement, as well as a charge of misleading Ottawa police in the hours before he was arrested.
The offences are alleged to have occurred in late 2017 after the couple returned to Canada following five years as captives of Taliban-linked extremists who seized them during a backpacking trip to Asia.
Joshua Boyle trial delayed by Supreme Court rulings on sexual-history evidence
Former Afghanistan captive Joshua Boyle charged with sex assault, forcible confinement
Psychiatric evaluation for ex-hostage Joshua Boyle delays trial
In court today, Boyle’s lawyers argued there is insufficient evidence to support the charge that Boyle misled police to believe Coleman was suicidal and missing to divert suspicion from himself the night of Dec. 30, 2017.
The Crown has agreed to modify a charge of sexual assault with a weapon, specifically ropes, to simply sexual assault.
Boyle’s lawyers argue another charge of sexual assault with ropes should proceed as an allegation of assault with a weapon.
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/ex...ers-want-charge-of-misleading-cops-thrown-out
Canadian Press
Published:
September 3, 2019
Updated:
September 3, 2019 1:39 PM EDT
Joshua Boyle arrives at court in Ottawa on Monday, March 25, 2019. Lawyers for former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle want a judge to toss out a charge that he misled police -- one of several criminal counts he faces in Ontario court.Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — Lawyers for former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle want a judge to toss out a charge that he misled police — one of several criminal counts he faces in Ontario court.
Boyle, 36, has pleaded not guilty to offences against estranged spouse Caitlan Coleman, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement, as well as a charge of misleading Ottawa police in the hours before he was arrested.
The offences are alleged to have occurred in late 2017 after the couple returned to Canada following five years as captives of Taliban-linked extremists who seized them during a backpacking trip to Asia.
Joshua Boyle trial delayed by Supreme Court rulings on sexual-history evidence
Former Afghanistan captive Joshua Boyle charged with sex assault, forcible confinement
Psychiatric evaluation for ex-hostage Joshua Boyle delays trial
In court today, Boyle’s lawyers argued there is insufficient evidence to support the charge that Boyle misled police to believe Coleman was suicidal and missing to divert suspicion from himself the night of Dec. 30, 2017.
The Crown has agreed to modify a charge of sexual assault with a weapon, specifically ropes, to simply sexual assault.
Boyle’s lawyers argue another charge of sexual assault with ropes should proceed as an allegation of assault with a weapon.
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/ex...ers-want-charge-of-misleading-cops-thrown-out
Ex-hostage Joshua Boyle is lying about wife’s supposed failings: Crown
Canadian Press
Published:
September 9, 2019
Updated:
September 9, 2019 5:37 PM EDT
Joshua Boyle arrives at court in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 19, 2019. Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — A Crown attorney says former overseas hostage Joshua Boyle is lying about his wife Caitlan Coleman being a neglectful, unfit mother.
Prosecutor Jason Neubauer says Boyle, who is accused of assaulting Coleman, wants to portray her as a bad parent to feed a larger fiction about Coleman being mentally ill.
Boyle, sitting in the witness box, denies making the allegations up, saying Coleman was an incompetent mother who often hit their eldest child.
Ex-hostage Joshua Boyle’s lawyers want charge of misleading cops thrown out
Joshua Boyle trial delayed by Supreme Court rulings on sexual-history evidence
Former Afghanistan captive Joshua Boyle charged with sex assault, forcible confinement
Testimony in Boyle’s assault trial resumed late today after several hours of procedural wrangling over whether certain evidence should be allowed.
Boyle, 36, has pleaded not guilty to offences against Coleman, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement in the period of October to December 2017.
The offences are alleged to have taken place after the couple returned to Canada following five years as hostages of Taliban-linked extremists who seized them during a 2012 trip to Afghanistan.
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/ex...-is-lying-about-wifes-supposed-failings-crown
Canadian Press
Published:
September 9, 2019
Updated:
September 9, 2019 5:37 PM EDT
Joshua Boyle arrives at court in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 19, 2019. Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — A Crown attorney says former overseas hostage Joshua Boyle is lying about his wife Caitlan Coleman being a neglectful, unfit mother.
Prosecutor Jason Neubauer says Boyle, who is accused of assaulting Coleman, wants to portray her as a bad parent to feed a larger fiction about Coleman being mentally ill.
Boyle, sitting in the witness box, denies making the allegations up, saying Coleman was an incompetent mother who often hit their eldest child.
Ex-hostage Joshua Boyle’s lawyers want charge of misleading cops thrown out
Joshua Boyle trial delayed by Supreme Court rulings on sexual-history evidence
Former Afghanistan captive Joshua Boyle charged with sex assault, forcible confinement
Testimony in Boyle’s assault trial resumed late today after several hours of procedural wrangling over whether certain evidence should be allowed.
Boyle, 36, has pleaded not guilty to offences against Coleman, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement in the period of October to December 2017.
The offences are alleged to have taken place after the couple returned to Canada following five years as hostages of Taliban-linked extremists who seized them during a 2012 trip to Afghanistan.
“JB (Joshua Boyle) regularly threatened to kill me by setting me on fire,” Coleman – who is expecting the couple’s fourth child – said in an affidavit. Her husband, she claimed, “had uncontrolled rage, instituted corporal punishment of me, and struck me in a fit of rage”.
None of the allegations contained in the affidavit have been proven in court.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...joshua-boyle-family-hostage-afghanistan-abuse
Beside the fact the beatings of the wife and kiddlies are typical to religious zealots, I wonder if this started before or after the FIRST child...
None of the allegations contained in the affidavit have been proven in court.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...joshua-boyle-family-hostage-afghanistan-abuse
Beside the fact the beatings of the wife and kiddlies are typical to religious zealots, I wonder if this started before or after the FIRST child...
Ex-hostage Caitlan Coleman denies trying to barter husband Joshua Boyle to get chocolate from Taliban
Canadian Press
Published:
September 30, 2019
Updated:
September 30, 2019 2:41 PM EDT
Caitlin Coleman leaves the Ottawa court house in Ottawa on March 27, 2019.LARS HAGBERG / AFP/Getty Images
OTTAWA — Caitlan Coleman denies trying to use her husband Joshua Boyle as a bargaining chip to get chocolate while the pair were held captive by extremists.
Coleman told Boyle’s assault trial in Ontario court today there is no truth to his claim she attempted to get the treat in exchange for Boyle’s participation in a mock execution by their Taliban-affiliated captors.
Coleman testified via video link from the United States as lawyers wrapped up their re-examination of witnesses in the case.
In letter to Coleman's parents, Boyle says she twice made him a hostage
Ex-hostage Boyle demanded wife lose weight as means of control: Prosecutor
Joshua Boyle: I hit my wife with broom handle because she asked me to
Ex-hostage Joshua Boyle is lying about wife’s supposed failings: Crown
Boyle doesn't blame wife he's accused of assaulting for hostage-taking
Boyle says suicidal wife ranted at him naked same night she wandered streets barefoot
Boyle, 36, has pleaded not guilty to offences against Coleman, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement in the period of October to December 2017.
The incidents are alleged to have taken place after he and Coleman returned to Canada five years after being taken prisoner in Afghanistan during a 2012 backpacking trip through central Asia.
Coleman said today she was hoping the couple would be denied permission to enter Afghanistan, contradicting Boyle’s testimony earlier in the trial they were both keen to visit the strife-torn country.
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/ex...nd-joshua-boyle-to-get-chocolate-from-taliban
Canadian Press
Published:
September 30, 2019
Updated:
September 30, 2019 2:41 PM EDT
Caitlin Coleman leaves the Ottawa court house in Ottawa on March 27, 2019.LARS HAGBERG / AFP/Getty Images
OTTAWA — Caitlan Coleman denies trying to use her husband Joshua Boyle as a bargaining chip to get chocolate while the pair were held captive by extremists.
Coleman told Boyle’s assault trial in Ontario court today there is no truth to his claim she attempted to get the treat in exchange for Boyle’s participation in a mock execution by their Taliban-affiliated captors.
Coleman testified via video link from the United States as lawyers wrapped up their re-examination of witnesses in the case.
In letter to Coleman's parents, Boyle says she twice made him a hostage
Ex-hostage Boyle demanded wife lose weight as means of control: Prosecutor
Joshua Boyle: I hit my wife with broom handle because she asked me to
Ex-hostage Joshua Boyle is lying about wife’s supposed failings: Crown
Boyle doesn't blame wife he's accused of assaulting for hostage-taking
Boyle says suicidal wife ranted at him naked same night she wandered streets barefoot
Boyle, 36, has pleaded not guilty to offences against Coleman, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement in the period of October to December 2017.
The incidents are alleged to have taken place after he and Coleman returned to Canada five years after being taken prisoner in Afghanistan during a 2012 backpacking trip through central Asia.
Coleman said today she was hoping the couple would be denied permission to enter Afghanistan, contradicting Boyle’s testimony earlier in the trial they were both keen to visit the strife-torn country.
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/ex...nd-joshua-boyle-to-get-chocolate-from-taliban
Crown says Boyle, accused of assault, made up self-serving nude protest story
Canadian Press
Published:
October 2, 2019
Updated:
October 2, 2019 5:47 PM EDT
Joshua Boyle leave the Ottawa Court House, September 04, 2019. Jean Levac / Postmedia News
OTTAWA — A federal prosecutor says former hostage Joshua Boyle lied about likening his wife’s tendency to strip off her clothes to the nude protests of Russian dissenters who settled in western Canada.
Crown attorney Jason Neubauer says Boyle slipped the fabrication into a fictional narrative in trying to defend himself against charges of assaulting wife Caitlan Coleman after the pair were freed from overseas captivity at the hands of Taliban-linked extremists.
Boyle, 36, has pleaded not guilty to several offences against Coleman including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement in the period of October to December 2017 in Ottawa.
Boyle has testified that Coleman would often disrobe when agitated and that he had joked with her about behaving like a Doukhobor, a sect whose members sometimes protested in the nude.
Ex-hostage Boyle demanded wife lose weight as means of control: Prosecutor
Ex-hostage Joshua Boyle is lying about wife’s supposed failings: Crown
Ex-hostage Caitlan Coleman denies trying to barter husband Joshua Boyle to get chocolate from Taliban
Under cross-examination this week, Coleman appeared to have no idea who the Doukhobors were and denied taking off her clothes when distressed.
Neubauer says Boyle’s story was “simply untrue” and just one example of his attempts to create his own, more favourable version of events.
http://torontosun.com/news/national...sault-made-up-self-serving-nude-protest-story
Canadian Press
Published:
October 2, 2019
Updated:
October 2, 2019 5:47 PM EDT
Joshua Boyle leave the Ottawa Court House, September 04, 2019. Jean Levac / Postmedia News
OTTAWA — A federal prosecutor says former hostage Joshua Boyle lied about likening his wife’s tendency to strip off her clothes to the nude protests of Russian dissenters who settled in western Canada.
Crown attorney Jason Neubauer says Boyle slipped the fabrication into a fictional narrative in trying to defend himself against charges of assaulting wife Caitlan Coleman after the pair were freed from overseas captivity at the hands of Taliban-linked extremists.
Boyle, 36, has pleaded not guilty to several offences against Coleman including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement in the period of October to December 2017 in Ottawa.
Boyle has testified that Coleman would often disrobe when agitated and that he had joked with her about behaving like a Doukhobor, a sect whose members sometimes protested in the nude.
Ex-hostage Boyle demanded wife lose weight as means of control: Prosecutor
Ex-hostage Joshua Boyle is lying about wife’s supposed failings: Crown
Ex-hostage Caitlan Coleman denies trying to barter husband Joshua Boyle to get chocolate from Taliban
Under cross-examination this week, Coleman appeared to have no idea who the Doukhobors were and denied taking off her clothes when distressed.
Neubauer says Boyle’s story was “simply untrue” and just one example of his attempts to create his own, more favourable version of events.
http://torontosun.com/news/national...sault-made-up-self-serving-nude-protest-story
Prosecutor asks judge to find ’cruel’ Joshua Boyle guilty of assaulting wife
Canadian Press
Published:
October 4, 2019
Updated:
October 4, 2019 7:11 AM EDT
Joshua Boyle arrives at court in Ottawa on Monday, March 25, 2019.Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — Former hostage Joshua Boyle used a calculated mixture of kindness and cruelty to ensnare his wife Caitlan Coleman in an emotional web, a Crown attorney said Thursday in urging a judge to find him guilty of assault.
Prosecutor Meaghan Cunningham told Ontario Court Judge Peter Doody that Coleman’s credible evidence against Boyle is bolstered by other testimony and documentation that paints him as a controlling, dominant husband who instilled fear.
Boyle, 36, has pleaded not guilty to offences against Coleman including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement in the period of October to December 2017.
The incidents are alleged to have taken place in Ottawa after he and Coleman returned to Canada following five years as overseas captives of Taliban-linked extremists. The couple was seized in 2012 in Afghanistan during a backpacking trip through Asia.
Boyle’s trial concluded Thursday, though written submissions from each side on certain legal points will be made later this month. Doody said he will deliver a verdict in the case Dec. 19.
Much of the closing submissions in the trial dealt with the respective credibility of Boyle and Coleman, each of whom spent days testifying about their fraught relationship, their harrowing time as hostages and events that led up to Boyle’s arrest in late 2017.
Lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, who is representing Boyle, says reasonable doubt about his client’s guilt amounts to a defence against all of the criminal charges.
He argues Doody should dismiss Coleman’s allegations, characterizing her testimony as the uncertain recollections of an unstable woman with serious emotional issues.
“Ms. Coleman’s evidence is neither credible nor reliable,” Greenspon told the court this week.
Cunningham firmly disagreed Thursday, calling Coleman’s testimony “coherent and compelling.”
Coleman has told the court her husband spanked, punched and slapped her while they were imprisoned abroad, and that his violent ways resumed shortly following their arrival in Canada.
Boyle firmly held the balance of power in the relationship, holding Coleman in his emotional grip, Cunningham said. “Mr. Boyle alternated sweetness with verbal abuse and demeaning comments.”
Boyle made it clear to his wife that she was to obey him, make him happy, always speak politely and never argue, Cunningham said.
“By the time they were released from captivity, Caitlan Coleman was terrified of her husband.”
Coleman has testified Boyle created a list of demands that included an edict she make him ejaculate twice a day, seven days a week, or face “chastising,” his word for spanking.
Cunningham underscored the importance of the list as evidence of Boyle’s controlling nature. “It is akin to a smoking gun in this case.”
Boyle has denied making such a demand, describing the list as a draft set of suggestions for Coleman, given that the couple had agreed to make New Year’s resolutions.
Cunningham also cited a tender, loving text message Boyle apparently sent to Coleman, one quickly followed by a second message saying: Oops, wrong addressee — April Fool’s, expect painful biting tonight.
“In my submission, it’s just cruel,” Cunningham told the court.
The prosecutor pointed to testimony from Coleman’s older sister and mother as confirmation of Boyle’s domineering nature.
Eric Granger, Greenspon’s co-counsel, said Thursday that evidence from the other witnesses was “limited in nature” and much of it amounted to “subjective impressions” of the situation.
The notion that Coleman’s evidence was clear and unequivocal does not mean it was accurate, he added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2019.
http://torontosun.com/news/provinci...-cruel-joshua-boyle-guilty-of-assaulting-wife
Canadian Press
Published:
October 4, 2019
Updated:
October 4, 2019 7:11 AM EDT
Joshua Boyle arrives at court in Ottawa on Monday, March 25, 2019.Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — Former hostage Joshua Boyle used a calculated mixture of kindness and cruelty to ensnare his wife Caitlan Coleman in an emotional web, a Crown attorney said Thursday in urging a judge to find him guilty of assault.
Prosecutor Meaghan Cunningham told Ontario Court Judge Peter Doody that Coleman’s credible evidence against Boyle is bolstered by other testimony and documentation that paints him as a controlling, dominant husband who instilled fear.
Boyle, 36, has pleaded not guilty to offences against Coleman including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement in the period of October to December 2017.
The incidents are alleged to have taken place in Ottawa after he and Coleman returned to Canada following five years as overseas captives of Taliban-linked extremists. The couple was seized in 2012 in Afghanistan during a backpacking trip through Asia.
Boyle’s trial concluded Thursday, though written submissions from each side on certain legal points will be made later this month. Doody said he will deliver a verdict in the case Dec. 19.
Much of the closing submissions in the trial dealt with the respective credibility of Boyle and Coleman, each of whom spent days testifying about their fraught relationship, their harrowing time as hostages and events that led up to Boyle’s arrest in late 2017.
Lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, who is representing Boyle, says reasonable doubt about his client’s guilt amounts to a defence against all of the criminal charges.
He argues Doody should dismiss Coleman’s allegations, characterizing her testimony as the uncertain recollections of an unstable woman with serious emotional issues.
“Ms. Coleman’s evidence is neither credible nor reliable,” Greenspon told the court this week.
Cunningham firmly disagreed Thursday, calling Coleman’s testimony “coherent and compelling.”
Coleman has told the court her husband spanked, punched and slapped her while they were imprisoned abroad, and that his violent ways resumed shortly following their arrival in Canada.
Boyle firmly held the balance of power in the relationship, holding Coleman in his emotional grip, Cunningham said. “Mr. Boyle alternated sweetness with verbal abuse and demeaning comments.”
Boyle made it clear to his wife that she was to obey him, make him happy, always speak politely and never argue, Cunningham said.
“By the time they were released from captivity, Caitlan Coleman was terrified of her husband.”
Coleman has testified Boyle created a list of demands that included an edict she make him ejaculate twice a day, seven days a week, or face “chastising,” his word for spanking.
Cunningham underscored the importance of the list as evidence of Boyle’s controlling nature. “It is akin to a smoking gun in this case.”
Boyle has denied making such a demand, describing the list as a draft set of suggestions for Coleman, given that the couple had agreed to make New Year’s resolutions.
Cunningham also cited a tender, loving text message Boyle apparently sent to Coleman, one quickly followed by a second message saying: Oops, wrong addressee — April Fool’s, expect painful biting tonight.
“In my submission, it’s just cruel,” Cunningham told the court.
The prosecutor pointed to testimony from Coleman’s older sister and mother as confirmation of Boyle’s domineering nature.
Eric Granger, Greenspon’s co-counsel, said Thursday that evidence from the other witnesses was “limited in nature” and much of it amounted to “subjective impressions” of the situation.
The notion that Coleman’s evidence was clear and unequivocal does not mean it was accurate, he added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2019.
http://torontosun.com/news/provinci...-cruel-joshua-boyle-guilty-of-assaulting-wife
