WARNING: Coverage of this trial contains details of sexual assault allegations.

A former doctor accused of multiple sexual assaults has been found not guilty by a Regina judge, following a lengthy trial.

Sylvester Ukabam, a gastroenterologist who practiced in Regina before giving up his medical license in 2018, pleaded not guilty to seven sexual assault charges filed against him by five former patients.

Justice Brian Scherman said it was a difficult decision, but ultimately he found Ukabam not guilty on each of the charges.

“I have concluded the Crown has not discharged the burden of proof to prove each charge beyond a reasonable doubt,” Scherman wrote.

The five complainants took the stand throughout the trial. Four said Ukabam inserted his finger into their vaginas during medical procedures and one said he touched her breasts during an exam.

Scherman said it came down to reliability, not credibility.

In the decision, Scherman said he does not conclude that the complainants are not credible witnesses in the sense that they honestly believe what they have testified to, with one potential exception.

“The overarching issue in respect of the complainant’s evidence is the reliability of their respective evidence,” he said. “There is, at minimum, a reasonable possibility that each of the complainants misinterpreted and/or do not reliably remember what occurred.”

Some reasonings he gave for questioning their reliability include sedation at the time of alleged assaults, inconsistencies in testimonies at trial and potentially having memories altered after seeing initial complaints in the media.

After reviewing all of the evidence, Scherman said he was unable to justify not believing Ukabam.

“While his general denials of any wrongdoing standing in isolation may have less weight, his medical justifications, or explanations as to what would have happened and why, were, in the context of the Crown’s own expert witness Dr. Lumb, reasonable,” the decision said. “This is not a positive finding to the effect that I necessarily believe Dr. Ukabam.”

Following the decision at Court of Queen’s Bench, Ukabam said he feels vindicated by the decision.

“The past five years have been devastating, but I thank God that it is all over,” Ukabam. “The future is good.”

His defence lawyer, Aaron Fox, said Ukabam does not intend to return to practicing medicine.

Fox said he agrees with Justice Scherman’s comments about the case turning on reliability instead of credibility.

“It was a difficult case for everybody involved, whether you were the complainant or the accused and their families and supporters,” Fox said. “It just is an extremely difficult situation.”

Fox said the crown’s expert witness, Dr. Barry Lumb, was an important factor.

“His evidence was very significant in really identifying how there was a reliability issue here,” Fox said. “The defence experts simply confirmed what Dr. Lumb was already saying.”

Crown prosecutor Jackie Lane said their team would be reviewing the decision and would then determine any further steps.

“As justice system participants, what we want is a fair trial. A fair trial is a trial that is fair for both the accused and the complainants,” Lane said.

A number of social media users captured Saskatchewans first tornado of 2022 on Tuesday evening north west of Moose Jaw.

Environment Canada (EC) confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down near Caron, Sask. around 7 p.m.

The tornado was a landspout that is suspected to have been generated by a strong thunderstorm interacting with a boundary, Environment Canada said in a preliminary weather summary Wednesday.

“Landspout tornadoes do not usually cause significant damage but can still be dangerous as they can topple trees, damage roofs, or toss debris a short distance,” EC said.

On the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, EF-0 is the lowest rating for a tornado, with wind speeds around 90-130 km/hr.

Environment Canada received one unconfirmed report of damage.

A storm that prompted severe thunderstorm warnings in several areas around Moose Jaw produced what was initially considered a probable tornado by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) around 7 p.m. Tuesday between the communities of Keeler and Caron.

The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) will be partnering with Westinghouse Canada to develop and further very small modular reactor (vSMR) technology in the province, according to a Wednesday news release.

The advancement of nuclear power in our province will not only modernize our power grid, but result in billions of dollars in additional economic activity, Minister Responsible for SaskPower Don Morgan said in the release.

The new partnership will be focused on the eVinci micro-reactor, which is approximately half the size of a hockey rink and capable of producing five megawatts of electricity and over 13 megawatts of high temperature heat.

We are proud to work with SRC to provide customized solutions to Saskatchewans clean energy needs with our eVinci micro-reactor technology, Westinghouse Electric Canada President Edouard Saab said.

Building on decades of innovation, the eVinci micro-reactor brings carbon-free, transportable, safe and scalable energy, while creating jobs in local communities and advancing Canadas Net Zero goals.

The SRC previously owned and operated a SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear reactor for 38 years that was used exclusively for research purposes.

This previous experience would be built on by the new partnership, according to the Minister responsible for the SRC, Jeremy Harrison.

“The hands-on experience SRC gained can be applied to emerging nuclear technology such as SMRs, he said. As we consider how to best power our future.

A Saskatoon man says he was shocked after receiving a ticket related to the bike rack on his SUV.

Craig De Grier told CTV News hes had a bike rack on the back of his vehicle for more than 20 years.

On Saturday he says was issued a $150 ticket for having an obstructed license plate due to the rack.

The ticket was issued during a traffic stop on Idywyld Drive.

“I was completely shocked,” said De Grier.

“Ive been involved with the cycling industry for 24 years. Ive been using rear-mounted carrying racks for bikes for that entire time.”

De Grier is passionate about cycling and runs children’s cycling programs and helps develop trails.

“Ive never heard of any messaging sent out by a government or a police service that these are now being considered to be illegal or overly obstructive, De Grier said.

Mark Vanstone has been working as a lawyer for over 25 years and was flabbergasted by the ticket.

“Ive never seen anything as ridiculous as this ticket,” he said. “I dont think thats the kind of obstruction that the provision is designed to address.”

“My question would be, how can a city that prides itself on promoting bike lanes, green space, green footprint ticket somebody for having the audacity to have a bike rack on the back of their vehicle?” Vanstone said.

De Grier said hes considering challenging the ticket.

Vanstone believes his chances are having it overturned are good.

“I would be surprised if a judge hearing this case wasnt sympathetic,” Vanstone said.

In a statement, a Saskatoon Police Service spokesperson said education and awareness are always the initial focus in situations such as this.

That being said, obstructing a license plate is a traffic violation, and could lead to a ticket being issued by our officers, the spokesperson said.

With the Victoria Day long weekend ahead, De Grier said cyclists deserve clarity about whats allowed.

“People are going to be getting all that gear back out and taking it to provincial parks to national parks,” De Grier said.

“I think that people deserve to know what they are and arent allowed to use.”

Saskatchewan motorists will be feeling the pain at the pumps as they hit the highway this long weekend, with it costing over $100 to fill the tank on many vehicles.

The NDP opposition is calling for gas price relief, something the provincial government hinted may be considered in the future.

“This government has the fiscal capacity to act and to support people who are just trying to make ends meet,” said NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon.

The government didn’t rule out the possibility but said the relief won’t be happening right now.

“He is indeed correct,” said Minister of Finance, Donna Harpauer. “The resource revenues are strong and we will see if that remains and we will be making decisions as we have more data later on in the budget.”

The NDP want relief sooner than that.

“Will this government finally listen and support our plan to provide cost of living relief today?” Wotherspoon asked during Question Period Tuesday.

Harpauer suggested motorists will have to grow accustomed to high gas prices, as she shifted blame on the federal government.

“This is what the prices are being driven to. They are going to stay higher each and every year that the carbon tax is increased and this is what we are going to face as long as the NDP is propping up Justin Trudeau,” she said.

Saskatchewan motorists will receive a $100 rebate from SGI later this spring. The government views it as a start while it considers whether more relief can be offered later.

Provincial police announced Wednesday the human remains found in the water in Dunnville, Ont., the day before are that of a young girl.

Police said people fishing in the Grand River discovered her remains and emergency responders arrived around 1:22 p.m. Tuesday.

The girl, who OPP estimate was between one and four years old when she died, was said to have been in the water for a period of time.

Its tragic, and its disturbing, said Detective Inspector Shawn Glassford with the OPP. Somebody out there is missing this child. Somebody is wondering what happened to this child and we want to hear from those people.

A post-mortem is scheduled for Thursday to determine her cause of death.

Police said their crime unit is investigating and they will provide an update when new information is available.

An OPP boat searches the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. after the remains of a young girl were found. (May 18, 2022)

I just cant imagine that someone would do that to a baby... a baby, said Chris Aldridge, who lives in Dunnville.

Its very, very sad, said another resident, Kathy Gilbert. I cant believe it. Something like this would happen in this town. Its just a sad day.

Police said they are looking into missing person reports from across Canada and the United States as part of their efforts to identify the girl.

Authorities have also set up a special tip line for anyone who may have information that can help in their investigation.

Residents are asked to call 1-844-677-9403, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Were hopeful that members of the public will assist us, said Glassford. I think this is one of those cases that were really going to depend on the public to help us identify this child and determine what happened and how this child ended up in the river and the circumstances surrounding that.

A helicopter flies over the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. (May 18, 2022)

The community of Dunnville is located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County. There are a number of boat launches along the waterfront and wind turbines lining the shore.

Manitoba is bracing for more rain as it works to repair multiple bridges that were seriously damaged in flash floods over the weekend.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk said he toured Manitobas northern Parkland area yesterday to view the damage that occurred following a weekend of flooding.

These were flash floods that happened over the weekend, he said. One of our ADMs was there and said the water was coming from all directions – it was like a tsunami. So this is what we were facing in that area.

He said around four or five bridges had serious repair damages after the flash floods. While some have opened, Piwniuk said crews are working to repair the other bridges and get traffic flowing again.

Johanu Botha, head of Manitoba’s Emergency Management Organization, said the flood fight is ongoing in communities hard hit by the flooding. He said the province has responded to requests for thousands of pieces of flood-fighting equipment in nearly 40 communities that have declared local states of emergency.

As of the update on Wednesday, Botha said about 2,500 Manitobans have been displaced by the flooding and are being accommodated in different communities in southern Manitoba.

They will remain there until water recedes and homes are deemed safe, he said.

We are working hard to protect homes, critical infrastructure, and to keep people safe through sandbags, and sand and Tiger Tube pumps, and of course, all the provincial staff who are deployed across southern Manitoba and who will remain there as long as needed.

However, more rain is on the way.

Currently we are monitoring another significant precipitation system that is going to impact most of western and central Manitoba basins between today and Friday, said Fisaha Unduche, executive director of hydrologic forecasting and water management in Manitoba.

He said areas including Roblin, Dauphin, Portage, and Brandon are looking at 40 to 90 mm of precipitation. He said the Assiniboine River and the Shellmouth Basin could also be impacted by this, which prompted the province to issue an overland flood warning for the area on Tuesday.

Botha said heavy rain can lead to flash floods and extreme overland flooding.

People in affected areas should take action to protect their families and their homes and should be prepared to evacuate if needed, he said, telling Manitobans to follow directions from their local authorities. 

A former Minneapolis police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd, admitting that he intentionally helped restrain the Black man in a way that created an unreasonable risk and caused his death.

As part of Thomas Lanes plea agreement, a more serious count of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder will be dismissed. Lane and former Officers J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao have already been convicted on federal counts of willfully violating Floyds rights. While they have yet to be sentenced on the federal charges, Lanes change of plea means he will avoid what could have been a lengthy state sentence if he was convicted of the murder charge.

The guilty plea comes a week before the two-year anniversary of Floyds May 25, 2020, killing. Floyd, 46, died after Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pinned him to the ground with a knee on Floyds neck as Floyd repeatedly said he couldnt breathe. The killing, captured on widely viewed bystander video, sparked protests in Minneapolis and around the globe as part of a reckoning over racial injustice.

Lane, who is white, and Kueng, who is Black, helped restrain Floyd, who was handcuffed. Lane held down Floyds legs and Kueng knelt on Floyds back. Thao, who is Hmong American, kept bystanders from intervening during the 9 1/2-minute restraint.

All three are free on bond; the state trial scheduled for June is expected to proceed for Kueng and Thao.

Lane is scheduled to be sentenced on the state charge Sept. 21.

In his plea agreement, Lane admitted that he knew from his training that restraining Floyd in that way created a serious risk of death, and that he heard Floyd say he couldnt breathe, knew Floyd fell silent, had no pulse and appeared to have lost consciousness.

The plea agreement says Lane knew Floyd should have been rolled onto his side -- and evidence shows he asked twice if that should be done -- but he continued to assist in the restraint despite the risk. Lane agreed the restraint was unreasonable under the circumstances and constituted an unlawful use of force.

The state and Lanes attorneys agreed to a recommended sentence of three years -- which is below state sentencing guidelines -- and prosecutors agreed to allow him to serve that penalty at the same time as any federal sentence, and in a federal prison. One legal expert said this would appeal to Lane because he would have less chance of being incarcerated with people he had arrested.

Lane, who is white, told Judge Peter Cahill that he understood the agreement. When asked how he would plead, he said: Guilty, your honor.

Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted the case, issued a statement saying he was pleased that Lane accepted responsibility.

His acknowledgment he did something wrong is an important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community, and the nation, Ellison said. While accountability is not justice, this is a significant moment in this case and a necessary resolution on our continued journey to justice.

Lanes attorney, Earl Gray, said in a statement that Lane did not want to risk a lengthy prison sentence if convicted of aiding and abetting murder, so he agreed to plead guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter.

He has a newborn baby and did not want to risk not being part of the childs life, Gray said.

Wednesdays hearing was streamed over Zoom for Floyds family members. Their attorneys issued a statement afterward, saying Lanes plea reflects a certain level of accountability, but that it came only after his federal conviction.

Hopefully, this plea helps usher in a new era where officers understand that juries will hold them accountable, just as they would any other citizen, family attorneys Ben Crump, Jeff Storms and Antonio Romanucci said. Perhaps soon, officers will not require families to endure the pain of lengthy court proceedings where their criminal acts are obvious and apparent.

Chauvin pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of violating Floyds civil rights and faces a federal sentence ranging from 20 to 25 years. The former officer earlier was convicted of state charges of murder and manslaughter and is currently serving 22 1/2 years in the state case.

Lanes plea comes as the country is focused on the killing of 10 Black people in Buffalo, New York, by an 18-year-old white man, who carried out the racist, livestreamed shooting Saturday in a supermarket.

Lane, Kueng and Thao were convicted of federal charges in February after a monthlong trial that focused on the officers training and the culture of the police department. All three were convicted of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care and Thao and Kueng were also convicted of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin during the killing.

After their federal conviction, there was a question as to whether the state trial would proceed. At an April hearing in state court, prosecutors revealed that they had offered plea deals to all three men, but they were rejected. At the time, Gray said it was hard for the defense to negotiate when the three still dont know what their federal sentences would be.

Rachel Moran, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas, said its possible Lane received a better offer, though the public doesnt know what happened behind the scenes. As for the other officers, she said Lanes guilty plea has got to make them think.

Particularly when I think most people would conceive of Thomas Lane as the least culpable of the three -- and hes the one pleading guilty, Moran said. Now if you are one of the other two left standing, it might change your position. ... They may have less appealing offers to work with, but it still puts pressure on them.

Its still not clear what federal sentence Lane and the others could face. Many factors go into determining a federal sentence; One legal expert told the AP earlier this year that a federal penalty could range anywhere from five to 25 years. Federal sentencing dates have not been set.

Under state sentencing guidelines, a person with no criminal record could face a sentence ranging from just under 3 1/2 years to four years and nine months in prison for second-degree unintentional manslaughter, with the presumptive sentence being four years. Lanes recommended sentence of three years, which still must be approved by the judge, would be five months less than the low range.

If Lane had been convicted of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, he would have faced a presumptive 12 1/2 years in prison. And prosecutors served notice in 2020 that they intended to seek longer sentences for Lane, Kueng and Thao -- as they did for Chauvin.

Thats a very sweet deal, John Baker, a former defense attorney who teaches aspiring police officers at St. Cloud State University, said of Lanes agreement.

Baker said a guilty plea makes sense and he would not be surprised if at least one of the other former officers also took a deal.

An attorney for Thao, Robert Paule, was in the courtroom for Lanes plea hearing. When asked if his client would also plead guilty, he replied No comment.

Kuengs attorney, Tom Plunkett, also declined to comment.

Storms, one of the Floyd family attorneys, said the deal with Lane happened very quickly. When asked if he knew of any other possible negotiations with Thao or Kueng, he declined to comment on that, but said: I think the family is hopeful, now that a state and federal jury have spoken, that the other officers will voluntarily be held accountable.