Peter Nygard, the founder of one of Canada’s largest clothing brands, was sentenced Monday to 11 years in prison for four counts of sexual assault of women and a girl in Toronto.
He could be released in about six and a half years with credit for time spent in pre-trial custody, or sooner if he is granted parole.
Nygard, 83, is “a Canadian success story gone very wrong,” Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Goldstein said in handing down the sentence.
He called him “a sexual predator,” adding that “Mr Nygard used his wealth, power and profile to prey on his victims.”
Wearing a dark hoodie and a makeshift visor to shield his eyes in court, Nygard did not appear to react to the decision.
His lawyer, Gerri Wiebe, said he planned to appeal the sentence while continuing to “maintain his innocence” in several other criminal cases pending against him.
Outside the Toronto courthouse, a spokesperson for one of Nygard’s victims, whose identities are protected by court order, read a statement describing a sense of closure after “four years of hell.”
“We did this to ensure every victim of sexual assault will remember this trial and feel the strength and confidence to come forward and not be threatened by social status or money,” read the statement.