Defence suggests complainant in Jake Virtanen sex assault trial was interested in his money

Questioning from the defence on day two of the sexual assault trial of hockey player Jake Virtanen insinuated the complainant was interested in the former Vancouver Canuck for his money.

Virtanen, 25, is charged with one count of sexual assault related to an incident in his hotel room at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver on Sept. 26, 2017. He has maintained his innocence.

The name of the complainant, identified as MS, is protected by a publication ban.

In cross examination, Virtanen's lawyer Brock Martland challenged the picture of non-consensual sex portrayed by the Crown on the first day of the trial, noting that MS had lost her job right before she brought a civil suit against Virtanen. 

"I was going to suggest at that time in your life you were worried by your financial situation," said Martland. 

"No, I wasn't," she replied.

MS testified she wasn't attracted to Virtanen the night they first met at the Calgary Stampede in July 2017 because he was so intoxicated. 

"Seeing him that drunk wasn't much of an attraction to me," she said.

The jury saw a brief video taken at a Calgary house that same night showing MS holding a silver bowl that Virtanen was throwing up into. Martland also brought up that Virtanen had peed himself.

"Essentially he's making a drunken fool of himself," said Martland. "I'm going to suggest to you that you know he's an NHL player and you are getting close to him because you are interested in him." 

"No," said MS.

"You know that NHL players make significant income," said Martland.

"No," said MS.

MS testified she had very little awareness about the NHL and NHL players. She said she didn't know who Virtanen was when she met him. 

Asked by Martland if she had ever tweeted about the NHL, she