A man charged in five sexual assaults near Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre last summer has pleaded guilty.
Donovan Mohammed was brought into court by a sheriff’s officer on Friday afternoon and sat quietly in the prisoner’s box, speaking briefly to confirm to his lawyer he was admitting guilt.
The assaults happened within one hour on the evening of July 2, 2025, within blocks of HSC.
Mohammed was arrested the next day. He later “made admissions regarding the assaults” to police and “noted he had not been taking his medication,” Crown attorney Andrea Lett read from an agreed statement of facts before provincial court Judge Stacy Cawley.
After Mohammed was arrested, court heard police found a knife with an eight-inch blade tucked in his waistband, and a visitor slip from Health Sciences Centre from the day of the assaults.
The assaults all involved strangers, some of whom were nurses leaving work after their shifts. Some of the assaults were also captured on surveillance video, Lett said.
The victims gave detailed descriptions of Mohammed that were consistent with the video captured, but when presented with a photo lineup, they either did not make a selection or did not select Mohammed, court heard.
Defence lawyer Sierra Bednarz told court Mohammed advised her he didn’t have a clear memory of what happened, but they’ve reviewed the evidence in the case in detail.
Man arrested in connection with 5 sex assaults around Health Sciences Centre
“And so, based on your review of that evidence, you’re not contesting these allegations. You’re accepting that they happened, is that correct?” Bednarz asked Mohammed.
“That’s correct,” he replied.
Court heard prosecutors have agreed not to ask for more than eight years in prison for Mohammed, who has been in custody since his arrest last year, after totality is considered. The Criminal Code principle applies to consecutive sentences and says the total length of time served “should not be unduly long or harsh.”
The first assault that evening happened around 6:50 p.m., when Mohammed approached a 14-year-old girl who was walking alone from behind and tried to pull her pants down.
He pushed the girl to the ground, hit her on the side of her face with his hand, called her a name and tried to take her backpack, Lett read from the agreed facts. Mohammed ran away after the girl discharged pepper spray.
Around 7:16 p.m., he approached a 26-year-old woman who was walking near Spence Street. Mohammed asked for a moment from the woman, who ignored him. He then grabbed her between the legs, causing her to fall to the ground and drop her belongings. He slapped her across the face and ran away when she screamed, court heard.
Shortly after that, Mohammed approached a 22-year-old woman on William Avenue from behind, slapping and then grabbing her buttocks before running away.
Around 7:42 p.m., he approached a 24-year-old woman from behind in the tunnel between HSC and the parkade. Mohammed grabbed her waist and put his hands between her legs. The woman screamed, and he slapped her. She dropped her belongings and ran, while he ran in the opposite direction, court heard.
4 random sexual assaults reported in, around Health Sciences Centre on Wednesday
The fifth assault happened around 7:45 p.m., when Mohammed approached a 30-year-old woman near Emily Street and McDermot Avenue to ask her for the time. She gave it to him, and he then slapped her on the buttocks “with enough force to knock [her] to her knees” and ran away.
The impact of that slap caused the woman, who was 25 weeks pregnant, to urinate and feel stomach pains. It also led her to get a fetal assessment, court heard, though no further details were provided.
Mohammed is expected to be sentenced next year. Other charges against him were stayed.
