Sentencing proceedings commenced on Friday for a former St. Francis Xavier University football player who was found guilty earlier this year of two counts of sexual assault. The prosecution and defense are in disagreement regarding the manner in which the sentence should be implemented.
Omogbolahan (Teddy) Jegede, aged 25, and the two female victims of his sexual assaults were all students at the Nova Scotia university at the time of the incidents in 2022 and 2023. The assaults took place on the campus in Antigonish, N.S.
Both victims delivered impact statements. One spoke from behind a screen to shield herself from seeing Jegede, revealing the significant psychological toll of PTSD, depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, and panic attacks that she has endured. The other victim did not appear in court but had her statement read aloud by the Crown, detailing the physical and mental struggles she faces, including headaches, anxiety, nightmares, and having to relinquish a job due to stress.
During the sentencing arguments, Crown prosecutor Courtney MacNeil urged Justice Frank Hoskins to impose a 27 to 36-month prison term for both offenses, emphasizing the severity of sexual assaults and the profound impact on the victims. In contrast, Jegede’s defense lawyer, Adam Rodgers, proposed a community-based sentence.
Rodgers advocated for a conditional sentence to be served in Jegede’s hometown of Fort McMurray, Alberta, far removed from the assault locations and the victims. He presented letters of support from members of the Nigerian community in Fort McMurray who are acquainted with Jegede and his family.
Jegede, maintaining his innocence, expressed his struggles since the conviction to the court. Both the prosecution and defense agreed that Jegede must provide a DNA sample for a national database and be listed on the national sex offender registry, differing only on the length of the registry posting. The Crown sought a lifetime listing, while Rodgers proposed a shorter duration.
Justice Hoskins is scheduled to deliver the sentencing verdict on December 17.