During the closing submissions of a high-profile trial, a lawyer representing one of the accused members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team argued that the group sexual encounter leading to charges was 'regrettable' but 'consensual'.

Dan Brown, the lawyer for Alex Formenton, emphasized to Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia that the case against the players is straightforward due to the unreliability of the complainant, known as E.M. in court documents.

Formenton, Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges stemming from an alleged non-consensual group sex incident with a 20-year-old woman in McLeod's hotel room in June 2018.

The defense has accused E.M. of lying under oath, claiming that she had consensual sex with McLeod before the alleged incident took place.

The trial, which began in late April and is being heard by a judge alone, has seen intense cross-examination of the complainant, who testified that she was intoxicated and not in a clear state of mind during the events.

Defense lawyers have suggested that E.M. was not as drunk as she claimed, and that she had a 'clear agenda' at the trial, while the accused players' lawyers have cited evidence and police interviews already presented in court.

During the trial, only one of the accused players, Hart, testified, while the others did not take the stand.

According to Brown, the group sex was 'unusual' and 'regrettable,' but that does not mean it was non-consensual, as there is evidence to suggest otherwise.

He also accused E.M. of lying under oath and pointed out inconsistencies in her testimony and statements given to the police.

McLeod's lawyer argued that the complainant's version of events was 'entirely unbelievable and unreliable,' while Hart's lawyer stated that his client's evidence was corroborated by other players who testified as witnesses for the Crown.

After the defense lawyers conclude their submissions, Crown prosecutors will present their closing arguments in the trial.