Crown presents case in sexual assault trial of former Snowbirds pilot

Warning: Details in this article may be upsetting or triggering to readers.

The trial of a former Canadian Forces Snowbirds pilot accused of sexual assault got underway Tuesday morning with testimony from the complainant.

Major Steven Hurlbut, 48, is facing allegations of sexually assaulting a female military member in June 2023 in the days leading up to the annual Barrie Airshow.

• RELATED | Canadian Forces Snowbirds pilot to head to trial after sexual assault accusations

A publication ban protects the military member's identity.Major Steve 'Stu' Hurlbut is pictured flying the 9 Jet with the Snowbirds in this undated photo. (Source: Instagram)

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In the Barrie courtroom on Tuesday, the Crown presented its case, saying Hurlbut invited the complainant to have drinks with him and that he later invited her to his room to watch hockey, which she declined.

The court heard Hurlbut apologized and then texted her his room number, and she agreed to visit him.

The Crown claimed that's when the assault happened.

The woman said Hurlbut grabbed her from behind while she was sitting on the corner of the bed, and asked her a few times, "So you wanna?" She testified that she told him no.

The woman told the courtroom he then asked why she wasn't interested, and she replied physiological, referencing her menstrual cycle. She said she reminded Hurlbut he was married, and after she said he pressured her again, she agreed to cuddle.

She described being frozen. "I didn't know what to do," she told the court.

She said Hurlbut kissed her on the lips using his tongue. She didn't recall kissing him back.

"I went on autopilot," she testified.

The woman said she then told Hurlbut she wanted to leave but he grabbed her, and she put her hands up in front of her chest, then on his shoulders. She said he kissed her again, and she said no once more to his advances.

The woman testified that she began to panic.

"I felt trapped," she said, adding that once he loosened his grip on her, she pushed him away and left the hotel room.

The court heard the woman had confided in two people about the incident before coming forward to investigators.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service laid the sexual assault charge against Hurlbut shortly after the military launched an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. The matter was then moved to the civilian justice system.

Hurlbut, also known as Stu, was a member of the Canadian military for more than three decades. He was a fighter pilot who flew missions in Iraq and Syria before becoming an instructor. He was a part of the Snowbirds for two years before being removed from the team following the allegations.

The three-day trial is set to continue later this month in Barrie.

The allegations against Hurlbut have not been tested in court.