The first witness at the sexual assault trial of a former Canadian Broadcast Corp. radio host has testified that he was charming before he suddenly went into a rage, pulling her hair and punching her, 13 years ago.
 
Jian Ghomeshi (pictured arriving at the courthouse in Toronto) has pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking. He has said he had consensual “rough sex” with women. He is the former host of “Q,” a popular radio show on culture that was heard across Canada and on many public stations in the U.S.
 
Police launched an investigation in 2014 after nine women contacted various media sources to report incidents of assault and sexual assault involving Ghomeshi. The allegations rocked Canada’s vaunted public broadcaster
 
Ghomeshi, who first gained fame as a member of the 1990s satirical pop band Moxy Fruvous, previously defended his actions in a 1,500-word statement on Facebook, saying women consented to having “rough sex” and that he’s the victim of a disgruntled ex-girlfriend. The CBC fired him.