graham james

Graham James hid his face as he entered a Winnipeg Court Room.  An hour later, he was sentenced to two years in jail for sexually abusing former Moose Jaw Warrior Theoren Fleury and Swift Current Bronco Todd Holt.

James showed no emotion as the judge handed down the decision saying the former coach had predatory behaviour and orchestrated his assaults. As part of the sentence, James is not allowed to have any contact with his victims.

James was convicted once before of sexually assaulting his players and was sentenced to three and a half years in jail. The Crown was seeking a six-year prison sentence but the defence was asking for a conditional sentence with no jail time, saying James has become the most hated man in hockey and has suffered enough.

Holt spoke to media in Alberta following the decision. "What guy's like James' do, is they prey upon the weak and they prey upon the one's that they can take advantage of. When they move on to the next victim, what they're leaving behind is exactly where me, Sheldon and Theoren are today. We were broken, we were empty. To a man like Graham James, that doesn't mean anything."

James has was convicted once before of sexually assaulting his players and was sentenced to 3 and a half years in jail. Neither Holt, nor Fleury were in the courtroom today. Fleury said it was because he had no trust in the justice system.