Sydney Dr. Acquitted Of Sexual Assault

by Dave DesveauxJuly 20, 2016

A Sydney doctor was found not guilty of sexual assault yesterday following a trial by judge alone last month.

67 year-old Dayananda Kodagoda was accused of sexually assaulting a patient on August 19th, 2013.

Reading out an hour-long decision, Supreme Court Justice Simon MacDonald cited inconsistencies in the accuser’s testimony and said the Crown had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

MacDonald also said some of the accuser’s claims were contradicted by the testimony of a nurse who worked with Kodagoda when the offence was said to have been committed.

The Nova Scotia College of Physicians and Surgeons had ordered Kodagoda not to examine female patients alone while the case was still before the court.

The college has yet to comment on whether the restriction will be lifted.

Dave Desveaux

Dave Desveaux, a native of New Waterford leverages his experience and passion for research in The Coast 89.7 Newsroom where as the Weekday Newscaster. His foray into radio began with a research position at The Coast, which led to the production of a radio documentary on the music of the Mi’kmaq people. The program, entitled “First Nations, First Music” was co-produced with fellow Coast personality Ron Neville and released in early 2011. A graduate of Breton Education Centre, Dave went on to get a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Sociology from Cape Breton University, as well as a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology from Dalhousie University. He has worked as a teaching assistant at Dalhousie, and in various short-term customer service and research positions.

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