Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard is a “sexual predator” who showed no empathy for his victims, an Ontario judge said Monday as he sentenced the disgraced tycoon to 11 years in prison for his crimes in Toronto.
The 83-year-old’s time behind bars will work out to a little less than seven years after accounting for credit he received for time already spent in custody, and Nygard will be eligible to apply for parole in two years.
Justice Robert Goldstein, who presided over the case, called Nygard “a Canadian success story gone very wrong.”
“Peter Nygard is a sexual predator,” Goldstein told the court in issuing his sentence.
Nygard, who arrived in court in a wheelchair, did not address the courtroom when given the opportunity.
He was convicted of four counts of sexual assault last November but acquitted of a fifth count as well as one of forcible confinement.
The charges stemmed from allegations dating from the 1980s until the mid-2000s, as multiple women accused Nygard of sexually assaulting them at his company’s headquarters in Toronto.
Nygard’s lawyer had argued for a six-year sentence, citing her client’s age and poor health, while the Crown sought a sentence of 15 years.
The judge dismissed the argument for a shorter sentencing, noting that Nygard has been receiving special treatment in custody due to his various health issues and that his advanced age is not reason enough to limit the sentence. Goldstein also suggested Nygard had been exaggerating his health issues in his submissions to the court.
The judge further said one of several aggravating factors in the case was the fact that one of the victims was just 16 years old.
Nygard’s lawyer previously argued in court that a lengthy sentence would be “crushing” for her client, who has Type 2 diabetes and deteriorating vision, among other health issues.
Nygard founded a fashion company in Winnipeg in 1967 that ultimately became Nygard International.
His company produced women’s clothing under several brand names and had corporate facilities in both Canada and the U.S. His stores throughout Winnipeg were once draped in his photos.
Aside from his Toronto case, Nygard is also facing charges in Quebec, Manitoba and the United States.
He was first arrested in Winnipeg in 2020 under the Extradition Act after he was charged with nine counts in New York, including sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
In May, Manitoba’s highest court dismissed Nygard’s application for a judicial review of his extradition order, finding there was no reason to interfere with the order issued by then-justice minister David Lametti.
None of the criminal charges against Nygard in Quebec, Manitoba or the U.S. have been tested in court, and he has denied all allegations against him.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
