'It just became too much': Group leader in Burlington mansion forced woman to stand barefoot outside in the cold, judge told

The trial of a Burlington commune leader who is facing 30 charges, including physical and sexual assault, along with human trafficking and firearm-related charges, heard from a former resident at the mansion.

Kent Emerson, a crown witness in the trial of Mohan Jarry" Ahlowalia, testified in the Burlington court on Wednesday, July 21, that Ahlowalia would often devolve into very vicious verbal abuses" toward a woman who previously told the court that she was subjected to physical and sexual abuse.

Ahlowalia has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

On the tongue lashings," Emerson said they occurred when Ahlowalia didn't like how certain tasks - washing the dishes, preparing a meal or putting food on the table - were being done or performed by the woman, whose identity is protected under a publication ban.

It could devolve into screaming and yelling, saying ,You're stupid' or Your brain is polluted,'" he said, adding that the accused also used derogatory terms about women.

It was really uncalled for in every one the situations that I ever witnessed it in."

When asked by Assistant Crown Attorney Monica Mackenzie how the woman responded, Emerson said most of the time she was reduced to just crying and sobbing ... and couldn't respond to questions when he asked her question, and she would just fall silent."

Beyond witnessing the verbal assault" and her being told to do push ups or stand barefoot outside in the cold during winter by Ahlowalia, Emerson said he never personally saw the woman being physically assaulted by him.

One time - after being made aware of such an incident - Emerson confronted Ahlowalia in his home office for allegedly slapping the woman at the warehouse of the family's packaging business sometime in the spring of 2014.

During the discussion, he said Ahlowalia gave a lecture" that lasted more than 1.5 hours - with many others in the household eventually joining them.

He basically explained that physical discipline is an acceptable way to correct people's behaviour," Emerson recalled. Over the years, he said Ahlowalia espoused the same philosophy to him and others.

There was also a similar meeting in the same year after another member of the commune came home with a black eye from the warehouse - this time, the discussion took place at the dining table.

In general, the black eye was acknowledged. It wasn't said in so many words what had happened," he said.

During his testimony, the private investigation business owner also said he saw Ahlowalia with guns on a number of occasions while living at the property, including once at the basement of the house while Ahlowalia was opening his personal safe and another in his bedroom.

Emerson lived with the Ahlowalia family for about 20 years - first in their Oakville home and then moved into a loft above the toolshed in the Mount Nemo property in rural Burlington, paying a monthly rent of $600 and the hydro bill for the whole property that amounted to $1,500 - $2,000 per month.

He moved out in October 2016, just a few months after the opening of the restaurant on the property.

The series of things that I've seen from the beginning phase up until then, it was just ... it just became too much," he said.

The trial will resume with a cross-examination of the witness by the defense team on Sept. 14.