A defence lawyer for Canadian businessman Frank Stronach is set to continue cross-examining one of his accusers Friday.

Leora Shemesh began questioning the woman, who is the fourth complainant to testify in the case, on Thursday afternoon after court took two unplanned pauses to deal with legal issues.

The issues arose after the woman repeatedly referred to her preparatory meetings with the prosecution while testifying about an alleged sexual assault that took place in the early 1980s.

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Shemesh has previously indicated she will seek a stay of proceedings over allegations that some of the complainants were coached by the Crown ahead of the trial.

On Thursday, she pressed the woman on what was said during a January meeting, and the woman maintained that the Crown never advised her on how to give her evidence.

Stronach, who is 93, has pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges stemming from alleged incidents involving seven complainants and dating back as far as the 1970s.

None of the complainants can be identified under a standard publication ban. All are expected to testify in the trial, which began last week after some delay.

A third complainant is set to testify in Toronto Wednesday at the sexual assault trial of auto parts tycoon Frank Stronach.

Stronach, who is 93, has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges related to seven complainants over alleged incidents spanning decades.

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Two complainants, both women in their 60s, have testified in the trial since it began last week, laying out their accounts of encounters with the billionaire businessman in the early 1980s.

On Tuesday, the second complainant said she met Stronach for dinner after asking him for information on her termination from his restaurant.

She said she felt obligated to accept his invitation to see his condo afterward, and that she felt “terrified” when he groped her as she was trying to leave.

All seven complainants are expected to testify in the case. None can be identified under a standard publication ban.

An update is expected today in the case of Canadian businessman Frank Stronach, whose sexual assault trial in Toronto is facing some delays.

The trial was scheduled to begin earlier this week but Stronach’s legal team asked for more time to prepare after receiving what it described as a large volume of new materials that includes several videotaped statements.

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The defence also said it is making an application for more disclosure and that there may be additional motions before the trial gets underway.

Stronach’s lawyers are expected to report back on their progress in court today.

The 93-year-old tycoon, who became one of Canada’s wealthiest people as the founder of the auto parts manufacturer Magna International, is facing 12 charges related to seven complainants.

The charges stem from alleged incidents that took place between the 1970s and 1990s.

Stronach, who has denied all allegations, was charged with 18 offences related to 13 complainants in 2024, but the case was eventually split in two.

A separate trial on the remaining allegations is scheduled later this year in Newmarket, Ont.