Ex-hockey coach Graham James arrested
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 | 9:55 PM CT
CBC News
Graham James was found living in Guadalajara, Mexico, in May. (CBC)Graham James, the convicted sex offender and former Winnipeg junior hockey coach whose 2007 pardon caused public outrage and pushed the Canadian government to propose changes to a federal law, has been arrested.
James was met at Pearson International Airport in Toronto by members of the Winnipeg Police Service at about 6:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday. From Toronto, James was escorted to Winnipeg, where he was arrested.
Police in the Manitoba capital issued a short news release saying they had been conducting an investigation into complaints of "historic sexual assaults" against the former junior hockey coach. They added James was arrested "through mutual agreement" and "remains in custody."
No additional details will be released, they said.
A warrant for James's arrest was issued by Winnipeg police on Oct. 13 in connection to charges of sexual assault in relation to three complainants, including one from former NHL star Theoren Fleury. The other two complainants can't be named due to a publication ban.
James's lawyer, Evan Roitenberg, told CBC News his client is not happy but is willing to cooperate fully and address the charges.
"I don't think anybody facing charges that he's facing would be particularly happy with their current situation. It's not a happy event to travel for this purpose," Roitenberg said. "But Mr. James felt it important that he answer and respond appropriately and turn himself in."
Fleury welcomed the news of the arrest.
"I'm obviously pretty happy to hear he is in custody and off the streets. His arrest is one step closer to seeing justice served. I don't know what the next steps are but I trust the legal system to do what needs to be done," Fleury said.
James pleaded guilty in 1997 to hundreds of assaults on two teenage players, including former NHLer Sheldon Kennedy, and was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. He was quietly pardoned three years ago, news that caused an uproar when it was revealed by The Canadian Press earlier this year.
The federal government has since said it would crack down on pardons. The Prime Minister's Office had no comment about Wednesday's arrest.
James pleaded guilty to hundreds of assaults on two teenage boys in 1997. His last known address was in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Corrections and Clarifications
- An earlier version of this story said Graham James was arrested in Toronto. In fact, James was met at Pearson International Airport in Toronto by members of the Winnipeg Police Service, but was escorted back to Winnipeg before being arrested. Oct. 28, 2010 | 12:58 p.m. CT
Share Tools
Latest Manitoba News Headlines
- 10 years since mad cow linked to Saskatchewan farm
- For many working in the Canadian agricultural industry, May 20 marks 10 years since a Saskatchewan family farm near Baldwinton was deemed to be the origin of an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. more »
- More details on double homicide victims
- Some family and friends of Natasha Jeffey, the victim of a violent homicide, are taking to Facebook to express their grief. more »
- Woman rescued from Assiniboine River
- A woman is lucky to be alive after being rescued from the Assiniboine River near Polo Park in the early hours of Friday morning. more »
- Man charged with drunk driving after Steinbach crash
- The RCMP in Steinbach, Man. have charged a man with impaired driving after a serious crash Friday night. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Unknown remains found on Dellen Millard's farm
- Police searching the farm of Dellen Millard, the 27-year-old charged with first-degree murder after the remains of Ancaster, Ont., man Tim Bosma were discovered, have found other remains on the property, but it's unclear if they are human or animal. more »
- Canadian on EI shut out amid foreign worker influx
- A jobless Canadian IT professional who is collecting employment insurance is upset because he now suspects several recent jobs he applied for went to temporary foreign workers. more »
- Can the Senate fire a senator?
- An expert on parliamentary rules says the Senate has the power to turf a senator from the chamber, as long as a majority approves the expulsion, and as long as there is cause. more »
- Nahlah Ayed: Vote-wary Iranians mull Ahmadinejad's successor
- Iranians go to the polls in less than four weeks to choose a new president. The reform movement is still smarting from its bitter defeat four years ago, but the jockeying for power is no less intense, Nahlah Ayed reports. more »
- Edmonton boy, 2, killed after car hits patio
- A two-year-old boy is dead after a car smashed into a patio at a south Edmonton restaurant Sunday night. more »
- More details on double homicide victims
- Woman rescued from Assiniboine River
- Man charged with drunk driving after Steinbach crash
- Man, 44, charged in Charleswood double homicide
- Man, 23, killed in head-on crash near Brandon
- Elijah Harper's body will lie in state in Manitoba legislature
- Second man charged in death of Winnipeg model
- UFO sightings soar in Manitoba, across Canada
- Steinbach police search for black car after hit and run
Asian Heritage Month 2013
