Charges have also been brought against the Finnish-born fashion designer elsewhere in Canada, and he is also accused of sexual crimes in the United States.
Finnish born fashion designer Peter Nygaard denied claims in court Wednesday that his Bahamian mansion has a secret sex den. Nygård, 82, is charged in Canada with sexual crimes and deprivation of liberty. The alleged cases date from the late 1980s to the 2000s.
Nygård took a Canadian court jury on a virtual tour of his properties and offices on Wednesday.
The women who accused him have said that Nygård lured them to his luxury office in Toronto with promises of modeling or design opportunities. Instead, the women are said to have been trapped in a bedroom connected to the office.
Prosecutors have previously described the bedroom attached to the office, which is said to have a giant bed, bar and handleless doors with automatic locks controlled by Nygård.
The court has also heard testimony about Nygård’s property in the Bahamas, where he has organized lavish parties.
On Wednesday, Nygård vehemently denied the claim that any part of the property was designed or intended to be used for sexual intercourse.
Nygårdin lawyer Brian Greenspan denied earlier this week the prosecutor’s description of Nygård as a sexual predator. He also denied claims about Nygård’s secret cave. Greenspan described the claims as false.
Nygård, who appeared on the witness stand on Wednesday, recalled his childhood, his family’s move from Finland to Canada, and the founding of Canada’s largest women’s clothing manufacturer, Nygård International.
From time to time, Nygård had trouble remembering dates and names. He told jurors he was suffering from increasing memory lapses and seemed to put this down to aging.
Mostly, however, Nygård seemed clear-headed and even happy as he talked about his work in the clothing industry and his real estate. Nygård said that his properties were designed by himself, and the accused also described that they were influenced by his Finnish origins.
Nygård’s lawyer, Greenspan, has said that Nygård plans to testify that he does not remember meeting four of the five women who accuse him. In addition, Nygård plans to deny the allegations made against him by the fifth woman.
“It’s impossible to remember what didn’t happen,” Greenspan said in court Tuesday, calling the women’s testimony inaccurate and unreliable.
Nygård is scheduled to continue testifying on Thursday.
Nygård has been imprisoned since December 2020. The court has denied Nygård’s request to be released on bail to await trial.
In addition to the Toronto lawsuit, similar charges have been brought against Nygård in Quebec and Manitoba. In addition to Canada, Nygård is also accused of sexual crimes in the United States.
According to prosecutors, Nygård has had dozens of victims in the United States, Canada and the Bahamas. Nygård has repeatedly denied all the charges against him.
The fashion designer founded his business empire in 1967 in Winnipeg. The company filed for bankruptcy protection shortly after police and the FBI raided Nygård’s Manhattan headquarters in 2020.
#Lawsuits #Peter #Nygårds #trial #continued #Canada #denied #claims #sex #cave #mansion
