By Taylor MacPherson

Alleged victim testifies at trial of former SJHL star

Apr 11, 2017 | 5:52 PM

UPDATE: After just 35 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict.

Garrett Dunlop was found to be not guilty of sexual assault or sexual interference.

In his statement to RCMP, a former SJHL rookie of the year said he kissed an underage girl in the backseat of his SUV, but had second thoughts and broke off the encounter before it could go any further.

Garrett Dunlop, 21, of Nanaimo B.C., is facing charges of sexual assault and sexual interference, as well as charges of making sexually explicit material available to a minor and using electronic communication to facilitate an offence. His trial began Monday at Melfort’s Court of Queen’s Bench.

Today the complainant, whose identity is protected under a publication ban, testified she had two sexual encounters with Dunlop and had sex with him on one occasion. She testified Dunlop, 19 years old at the time, told her he was 16. The alleged victim said she was “disgusted” to learn his real age after the fact.

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During her testimony a screen was erected in the courtroom between the complainant and her alleged assaulter, preventing them from seeing each other.

Court also heard from Cpl. Josh Martin of the Nipawin RCMP, who arrested Dunlop in January of 2016 and conducted a lengthy videotaped interview with him, which was introduced as evidence during the trial and played for the jury.

During the 50-minute interview tape Dunlop said he met the complainant through the social media platform Snapchat where the two exchanged photos, and only met her once in person. During the meeting he said the two drove around before moving to the backseat of his Ford Expedition where they shared a kiss.

“It never went any further than that,” Dunlop said in the interview. “It didn’t feel right.”

Dunlop said he believed the complainant was 14 years old during their encounter, which he broke off after just a few moments.

“I said I didn’t want to do anything else,” he told Cpl. Martin on the videotape. “Would I want this to happen to my little sister?”

Dunlop played for two seasons in the SJHL with the Nipawin Hawks, and was named Rookie of the Year at the end of the 2014-15 hockey season. Four days were set aside for the trial, which is expected to run until Thursday.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews