By Canadian Press

Appeal of ruling suspends assault trial for ex-Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle

Apr 24, 2019 | 10:31 AM

OTTAWA — The assault trial of former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle will be delayed for weeks or even months while the courts settle a dispute over whether his sexual history with his wife is admissible evidence.

Boyle has pleaded not guilty in Ontario court to offences 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 extremists who seized them during a backpacking trip to Asia.

Coleman’s lawyer, Ian Carter, is asking a superior court to review a ruling that allows Boyle to introduce evidence concerning certain consensual sexual activity with his wife.

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Judge Peter Doody, who is presiding over Boyle’s case, says today that Carter’s move automatically suspends the trial while the review plays out.

Doody suggests that the review and any subsequent appeals could put Boyle’s trial on hold for many months.

The Canadian Press