Former paramedic James Keats takes stand at his sexual assault trial
Former paramedic James Duncan Keats took the stand in his own defence Tuesday, denying he sexually assaulted four women while on the job.
Keats is on trial in front of a judge and jury in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. The allegations date to between January and May 2013.
Three of the women allege Keats assaulted them while he was riding with them in the back of an ambulance on their way to hospital. The fourth alleges she was assaulted in a hospital hallway.
One woman testified Keats aggressively fondled her below the waist, even removing his paramedic's gloves to touch her with his bare hand.
"It's not correct," Keats told the court. "I honestly don't think I'd be able to put my hands between her legs because her legs were fairly tight together."
In the case of another woman, Keats insisted: "I never asked her to remove her bra." The woman says Keats exposed her entire groin region, but he told the court: "not while she was in the ambulance with me."
The Crown is expected to begin cross-examining Keats tomorrow.
It's not clear when the jury will hear closing arguments or instructions from the judge.
