REGINA — A Saskatchewan judge has found a former Western Hockey League coach guilty of inappropriately touching and hitting a teenage player 35 years ago.
Justice Peter Bergbusch convicted Bernard Lynch, a former assistant coach with the Regina Pats hockey team, of sexual assault and assault of a 17-year-old in 1988.
The player cannot be identified.
The judge says he found Lynch's testimony to be inconsistent and that the evidence supplied by the player was straightforward and truthful.
Lynch is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 5.
Prosecutor Chris White says the Crown is to seek jail time of two years or more for Lynch.
"We'd like to see a just sentence that recognizes the harm done," White told reporters Friday.
Defence lawyer Andrew Hitchcock said he has yet to determine his position on sentencing, or whether he'll seek an appeal.
"I can't say I've done a case that's 35 years old," he said.
"This is the first one, so I got to do a bit of work. There will be some mitigating factors."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2023.
The Canadian Press
