Former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for sexually assaulting four women in a Toronto courtroom. The judge referred to the 83-year-old as a “sexual predator” and highlighted the lack of empathy Nygard showed towards his victims, who were all attacked in his company’s offices. One of the victims was only 16 years old at the time of the assault. Nygard, who denied all allegations against him, did not address the court and arrived in a wheelchair for his sentencing.
The charges against Nygard date back to the 1980s until the mid-2000s, with allegations from five women who testified during his trial. These women were invited to his Toronto business headquarters under various pretexts and later sexually assaulted in a top-floor bedroom suite. Nygard would often meet these women on a plane, at an airport, or at a nightclub before inviting them to his headquarters. The encounters always ended with sexual activity that the women did not consent to. Nygard’s lawyer argued for a six-year sentence due to his age and health, while the Crown sought 15 years.
During the trial, Goldstein dismissed the argument for a shorter sentence, stating that Nygard had been receiving special treatment in custody for his health issues. Nygard’s age and health conditions, which include Type 2 diabetes and deteriorating vision, were not seen as valid reasons for a reduced sentence. The judge accused Nygard of exaggerating his health problems in his submissions to the court, calling him “a Canadian success story gone very wrong.” Nygard’s time behind bars will amount to a little less than seven years after accounting for time served, and he will be eligible for parole in two years.
Peter Nygard founded a fashion company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1967, which later became Nygard International. The company produced women’s clothing under various brand names and had facilities in Canada and the U.S. Nygard stepped down as chairman of the company after his offices were raided by the FBI and police in New York City in February 2020. The company filed for bankruptcy and entered receivership following Nygard’s arrest in Winnipeg under the Extradition Act for charges in New York, including sex trafficking and racketeering.
In May, Manitoba’s highest court dismissed Nygard’s application for a judicial review of his extradition order, upholding the decision made by then-Justice Minister David Lametti. Nygard, who once had his photos draped throughout his stores in Winnipeg, has faced legal troubles in Montreal, Winnipeg, and the U.S. in addition to the recent sentencing in Toronto. Despite his age and health concerns, the court deemed the severity of his crimes to warrant an 11-year prison sentence, citing his lack of empathy for his victims and noting that he has been receiving special treatment for his health issues while in custody.
