Former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard sentenced to eleven years in prison for sexual assault

Former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard was sentenced to 11 years in prison in a Toronto court on Monday for sexually abusing four women. The judge described the 83-year-old as a “sexual predator.”

Judge Robert Goldstein said Nygard showed no compassion for his victims, all of whom were attacked in his company's offices. One of the aggravating factors in the case was the fact that one of the victims was only 16 at the time, the judge said.

Nygard was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault in November, but was acquitted of a fifth count and one count of false imprisonment. He is also facing charges of sexual assault and human trafficking in Montreal, Winnipeg and the United States.

Nygard has denied all allegations against him.

Nygard, who once ran a women's fashion empire, arrived at court in a wheelchair and did not speak when given the opportunity. After time already served, he will serve just under seven years in prison. He will be eligible for parole in two years.

The charges against Nygard were based on allegations dating from the 1980s to the mid-2000s.

During his trial, five women, whose identities are protected by a publication ban, testified that they were invited to Nygard's Toronto headquarters under pretenses ranging from tours to job interviews. All of the encounters ended in a top-floor bedroom suite, where four of the women were sexually assaulted.

Several women told the jury similar stories of meeting Nygard on an airplane, on an airport tarmac or at a nightclub and then receiving invitations to his headquarters. All five women said their meetings or interactions with Nygard ended in sexual activity to which they had not consented.

Nygard's lawyer had called for a six-year prison sentence, citing her client's age and poor health, while the prosecution had called for a 15-year prison sentence.

The judge rejected the request for a reduction in prison sentence on the grounds that Nygard had received special treatment in prison due to his various health problems and that his advanced age was not a sufficient reason for a reduction in prison sentence.

Goldstein also claimed that Nygard exaggerated his health problems in his statements to the court.

Nygard's lawyer had previously argued in court that a long prison sentence would be “overwhelming” for her client, who suffers from type 2 diabetes and failing eyesight, among other things.

Goldstein called Nygard “a Canadian success story gone completely wrong.”

Nygard founded a fashion company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1967, which later became Nygard International. His company produced women's clothing under various brand names and had offices in Canada and the United States. His stores throughout Winnipeg were once decorated with his photographs.

Nygard resigned as chairman of the company after the FBI and police raided its New York City offices in February 2020. The company has since filed for bankruptcy and has been placed into receivership.

He was first arrested in Winnipeg in 2020 under the Extradition Act after being charged in New York with nine counts, including sex trafficking and organized crime.

In May, Manitoba's highest court rejected Nygard's request for a judicial review of his extradition order, saying there was no reason to oppose the decision of then-Justice Minister David Lametti.