Disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of sexually assaulting four women.
Nygard was sentenced in a Toronto court on Monday by Judge Robert Goldstein, who called him a “sexual predator” and said he showed no empathy for his victims, all of whom were attacked at his company’s offices.
The judge said one of several aggravating factors in the case was the fact that one of the victims was just 16 years old at the time of the attack.
The 83-year-old Canadian designer was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault last November. He was acquitted of a fifth charge, as well as one count of forcible confinement.
Nygard, who once hosted Prince Andrew in the Bahamas, faces separate charges of sexual assault and sex trafficking in Montreal, Winnipeg and the United States. He has denied all the allegations against him.
Disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard, pictured in 2014, was sentenced in a Toronto court on Monday to 11 years in prison for sexually assaulting four women.
Judge Robert Goldstein, pictured addressing the court on Monday, called Nygard (center left) a “sexual predator” and said he showed no empathy for his victims, all of whom were attacked at his firm’s offices.
Nygard, who once ran a women’s fashion empire, arrived at court in a wheelchair on Monday and did not address the court when given the chance.
His prison term will be just under seven years, after accounting for the time he has already served. He will be eligible for parole in two years.
The charges against Nygard stemmed from allegations dating back to the 1980s through the mid-2000s.
During the 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 guided tours to job interviews.
All the encounters ended in a top-floor bedroom, where four of the women were sexually assaulted.
Several women told jurors similar stories about meeting Nygard on a plane, on an airport tarmac or in a nightclub and then receiving invitations to his headquarters.
All five women said their meetings or interactions with Nygard resulted in sexual activity to which they did not consent.
Nygard, pictured in a courtroom sketch in 2022, was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault last November. He was acquitted of a fifth charge, as well as one count of forcible confinement. He faces separate charges of sexual assault and sex trafficking in Montreal, Winnipeg and the United States. He has denied all the allegations against him.
Nygard’s lawyer had asked for a six-year sentence, citing his client’s age and poor health, while the Crown had asked for a 15-year sentence.
The judge dismissed the argument for a shorter sentence, saying Nygard has been receiving special treatment in custody because of his various health problems and that his advanced age was not a sufficient reason to limit the sentence.
Goldstein also suggested that Nygard had been exaggerating his health problems in his court filings.
Nygard’s lawyer previously argued in court that a lengthy sentence would be “crushing” for his client, who has Type 2 diabetes and impaired vision, among other health problems.
Goldstein called Nygard “a Canadian success story gone badly wrong.”
Nygard founded a fashion company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1967, which eventually became Nygard International.
Her company produced women’s clothing under several brand names and had corporate facilities in Canada and the United States. Its stores throughout Winnipeg were once adorned with her photographs.
Nygard founded a fashion company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1967, which eventually became Nygard International. His company produced women’s clothing under several brands and had corporate facilities in Canada and the United States (file photo)
Nygard resigned as the company’s chairman after the FBI and police raided its New York City offices in February 2020. The company has since filed for bankruptcy and entered receivership.
He was first arrested in Winnipeg in 2020 under the Extradition Act after being charged with nine counts in New York, including sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
In May, Manitoba’s highest court dismissed Nygard’s request for a judicial review of his extradition order, finding there were no grounds to interfere with the order issued by then-Justice Minister David Lametti.
