Jury makes quick decision to acquit Kamloops woman after sexual assault trial – Kamloops News

A British Columbia Supreme Court jury took little time to acquit a Kamloops woman of charges accusing her of sexually touching a fellow university student more than a decade ago.

Brigette Kowalewski, 33, appeared in court this week on charges of sexual assault. The charges were brought following an alleged incident in 2010. Kowalewski was known as Grant Kowalewski at the time of the alleged crime and has been having sexual intercourse since then.

Kowalewski and the plaintiff, who cannot be named due to a court order prohibiting him from releasing any identifying information, were classmates at Thompson Rivers University. They had dated briefly before and were part of a large group project in March 2010.

The plaintiff testified that Kowalewski put her hands in her pants in the middle of the night after she was offered a place to stay.

Kowalewski defended herself and denied any wrongdoing. Her testimony also questioned the prosecution's timeline and suggested that the slumber party actually took place months later.

Attorneys made closing arguments on Wednesday, and the jury began deliberating late Thursday morning, returning an acquittal about four hours later.