Almost a month after Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy convicted billionaire Frank Stronach over separate sexual offences involving two women decades ago, she stunned a downtown Toronto courtroom on Friday by granting a defence request for a mistrial on one count ahead of a sentencing hearing scheduled for September.
The unexpected ruling came after Stronach’s lawyer, Leora Shemesh, argued that new information raised serious concerns about the credibility of one complainant. Shemesh told the court that earlier this month she received an email from lawyer Shale Wagman, who said he was acting on the complainant’s behalf and that she was seeking civil damages Shemesh estimated at roughly $900,000.
