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Sex assault left victim ‘very anxious,’ can’t recall details

A woman who was sexually assaulted in her Saanich apartment two years ago testified Wednesday that she was too nervous to notice whether the man who barged into her home was wearing gloves. “We were very anxious,” she said.
Victoria courthouse generic photo
David Robert Hope is charged with two counts of sexual assault, two counts of unlawful confinement, two counts of robbery and one count of breaking and entering with intent to commit an indictable offence.

A woman who was sexually assaulted in her Saanich apartment two years ago testified Wednesday that she was too nervous to notice whether the man who barged into her home was wearing gloves.

“We were very anxious,” she said.

The woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, was testifying at the trial of David Robert Hope, who is charged with two counts of sexual assault, two counts of unlawful confinement, two counts of robbery and one count of breaking and entering with intent to commit an indictable offence.

Hope, 44, has pleaded not guilty.

The woman and her roommate, both University of Victoria students in their 20s, were sexually assaulted by a man who was let into their Church Avenue suite after pounding on the patio door on the evening of Jan. 27, 2016.

On Wednesday, defence lawyer Ryan Drury asked the woman how many lights were on when the man entered the residence.

“I only remember the lights in the kitchen were on,” said the woman, who is from another country and spoke through an interpreter.

The woman affirmed much of the description of the man’s clothes and face that was recounted to police at the time.

She explained the difference between some aspects of what she said in her 2016 police interview and what she recalls now.

“It’s been such a long time,” she said.

“If that’s what I said at the time, that’s probably what I remembered at the time.”

On Tuesday, the woman testified that she and her roommate were ordered into a bedroom and told to remove their clothes by the man, but were able to change his focus by saying they could get him money.

That led to the man and the women walking down Church Avenue to Shelbourne Street to find a bank machine and withdraw some cash. The woman told the court that the man said they should do what he said, because he knew where they lived and could come back to get them.

The woman said she withdrew all the money she had, about $80 or $90, gave it to the man. She then fled to a nearby Starbucks with her roommate to get help.

The Crown has said its case against Hope is largely circumstantial, involving such evidence as DNA that matched the defendant’s being found on a patio door handle.

The roommate, five police officers, and two expert witnesses are also due to testify at the trial, estimated to take 14 says.

The case is being heard before a jury by Justice Jennifer Power.

jwbell@timescolonist.com