Domestic violence: former NHL prospect guilty of armed assault and sexual assault on ex

SAINT-HYACINTHE | A violent former Ottawa Senators prospect who used manipulation to have relations with his ex-girlfriend has been found guilty of armed assault and sexual assault.

Gabriel Gagné met the young woman on Instagram. At that time, she knew nothing about her hockey career. They developed a romantic relationship, in which violence quickly set in. Gagné also had drinking problems.

“He is disrespectful, manipulative and aggressive” when we analyze the text messages, summarized judge Marc-André Gauthier this morning, at the Saint-Hyacinthe courthouse.

The magistrate then found Gabriel Gagné guilty of armed assault, sexual assault and harassment for his crimes during the relationship.

The former Victoriaville Tigres and Shawinigan Cataractes player was drafted in 2015 by the Ottawa Senators. At the time of the events, he was playing in the American Hockey League.

His “no” not heard

The fallen athlete gave his ex a nightmare. Many quibbles dictated the tone of the relationship. During an argument, he brandished a dumbbell over his partner’s head. Another time he threw a watch.

During her testimony at the trial, the complainant described with emotion the acts of violence against her. Gagné, now 28 years old, also used manipulation to have sex with her.

“When she said no, he was pushy, disrespectful, angry and manipulative. His “no” was not heard. She let him do it to have peace,” the judge underlined in his verdict.

During his trial, the 6-foot-5 giant denied forcing the relationship, but his explanations “made no sense in the eyes of the Court.”

“Clearly, his behavior was with the sole aim of [la] force sex. What the Supreme Court describes as a lack of consent,” explained Judge Gauthier.

Gagné has had several run-ins with the law. This summer, he was convicted of sexually assaulting a young woman who was 20 years old, in the summer of 2016. In one evening, he followed her before forcing her to perform oral sex on him and raping her .

Then in the summer of 2023, he received six months in prison for having harassed and threatened another ex-girlfriend for three years, notably with fake accounts on social networks.More details to come…