What Patrick Kane's Chauffeur, an Off-Duty Cop, Says He Saw That Night

A Buffalo police lieutenant who doubles as Patrick Kane’s chauffeur has been questioned by the Erie County district attorney about Aug. 2, when a woman alleges the Chicago Blackhawks superstar raped and bit her.

Lt. Thomas English, who’s worked for Kane the last five years, told The Buffalo News he drove Kane, a friend and two women to the hockey player’s mansion in the Town of Hamburg after they spent time at SkyBar, a Buffalo night spot. English was in the bar and saw Kane interacting with the woman and other patrons. Buffalo police are investigating whether English should have been on duty that evening instead of with Kane.

According to a report published Sunday by The Buffalo News, this is what English told the district attorney’s investigators:

English said he was with Kane and Thomas Cowan, a Buffalo restaurateur, the entire time they were at SkyBar and witnessed no inappropriate behavior there or on the drive to Kane’s home.

“It was a mutual agreement to go hang out at the house,” English said. ...

English disputed the accounts of three sources – a friend of the alleged victim, a law enforcement source and a source in the legal community – who told The News that the alleged rape victim went to Kane’s home because of her friend’s urging.

According to English, it was the other way around. The alleged victim urged her female friend to go with them to Kane’s home, said English, who identified the accuser by name.

Asked if Kane previously knew the young woman, English said: “Not that I’m aware of, but I just don’t know.”

Meanwhile, four friends and co-workers of the accuser told The News they believe the woman. They said the accusations of “gold-digging” simply aren’t in her character.

Said a manager at her place of employment:

“She’s a very positive person, a hard worker. … To see her mixed up in something like this came as an absolute surprise to me. For her to be a gold digger and to take advantage of a situation like that would be totally out of character for her. … I’m completely surprised.”

When asked if he thinks the woman would lie about such an incident, the manager answered: “Absolutely not.”

Her friends tell The News they are upset with the owner of SkyBar, Mark Croce, and believe he is demeaning and questioning her character in comments he recently made to the press about her “hanging on” the hockey star at his bar and throwing herself at him.

“She’s a really nice girl, and it made me sick to see Mr. Croce make her look like she was some kind of gold digger, that she was out looking to pick up Pat Kane,” one of the co-workers said. “She’s really getting bashed, and it upset me. … I don’t think Mr. Croce should be making remarks like that. I don’t think it’s fair. He’s taking Pat Kane’s side in this because Pat Kane was going to have a big Stanley Cup party at his bar.”

“She does not strike me like the kind of person who would make up a story about being raped. Not at all,” the co-worker added.

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