BC man who got $8M says he'll be penniless if made to pay sex assault damages

A B.C. man who was awarded $8 million after being wrongfully convicted of sexual assault and spending 27 years in prison says he'll be left "homeless and penniless" if forced to pay civil damages to victims who won a lawsuit against him.

The B.C. Court of Appeal ruled this week that five victims who were awarded $375,000 each in January against Ivan Henry can't go after his home or vehicle pending his appeal, but ordered him to pay $232,000 into a trust account.

The ruling says Henry received a multimillion-dollar payout in 2018 for breaches of his Charter rights after suing the province and others for wrongful conviction, but five complainants sued him in 2017 for sexual assaults they say he committed.

The B.C. Supreme Court sided with the women but the ruling says Henry has not taken any steps to pay them and both he and the plaintiffs have filed appeals.

The ruling says Henry applied to "stay execution" of the damages award and told the court he spent millions defending the lawsuit, gave away more than $2 million, and now lives in a mortgage-free home on a monthly stipend from old-age security and the Canada Pension Plan.

The Court of Appeal found discrepancies in Henry's claims, finding his evidence leaves $1.8 million "unaccounted for," while he couldn't explain where "large sums" flowing in and out of his account went between 2018 and 2023.