Former paramedic James Duncan Keats faces cross-examination

The jury in the sexual assault trial of James Duncan Keats will hear closing arguments Monday after the former paramedic finished testifying inhis own defenceWednesday.

The 50-year-old is on trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax,accused of sexually assaulting four women between January and May 2013 while he was a paramedic. He was later fired.

• Former paramedic James Keats takes stand at his sexual assault trial

• Women accuse former paramedic of sexually assaulting them on the job

Three of the women say Keats touched them inappropriately while he was with them in the back of an ambulance on their way to hospital. The fourth alleges Keats touched her while they were in a hospital waiting area.

Keats spent most of Wednesday morning under cross-examination by Crown prosecutor ChristineDriscoll.

Driscollquestioned why Keats looked under a woman's pants at bruising on her hip, when the ambulance had been called because she was complaining of chest pains.

Keats said it was because the bruising was interesting.

"She's not there for your learning experience, correct?"Driscollasked.

'Text message exchange'

Keats said he talked to the women to try to put them at ease. ButDriscollquestioned why he continued to exchange text messages with one patient after he'd met her in an ambulance.

"That's getting past any sort of professional relationship," Driscoll said.

The woman was 24 at the time. Keats was 48. The ambulance was called because the woman was suicidal.

Driscollalso asked Keats why he conducted chest exams during two callsinvolving womenwith serious mental health issues.

Keats told the court he understood the need to respect the privacy and dignity of the patients he treated.

At the the end of Keats's testimony,Justice Felix Cacchione asked the jury when they wanted to begin their deliberations. He gave them the choice of hearing closing arguments and final instructions this week, or waiting until next week.

The judge cautioned the 14-member jury that if they got their final instructions by Friday, their deliberations would likely stretch into the weekend. The judge noted many people would want to use that time for Christmas shopping.

"I don't want any outside pressures brought to bear on your deliberations," Cacchione said.

After a brief consultation, the jury opted to hear final arguments from lawyersand instructions from the judge beginning on Monday.