Testimony wraps on first week of Toronto city councillor’s sexual assault trial

After 3 days of testimony, the archetypal witnesser successful the intersexual battle lawsuit of longtime Toronto person Michael Thompson finished a lengthy cross-examination successful which she said the Scarbourgh councillor heavy encouraged intoxicant depletion and made her progressively uncomfortable.

Thompson, 64, was charged with 2 counts of intersexual battle successful September of 2022, pursuing a agelong play cottage getaway successful Muskoka. The metropolis councillor, who was re-elected astir a period aft the charges became public, has denied immoderate wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.

On Monday, Crown lawyer Mareike Newhouse laid retired the lawsuit against Thompson successful an Ontario Court of Justice successful Bracebridge. Allegations included that helium performed a massage that was intersexual successful quality connected 1 pistillate and that helium forced himself connected a 2nd woman.

During Newhouse’s overview, she said the 2nd complainant was severely intoxicated and had gaps successful her memory, but intelligibly remembers telling Thompson she said “no.”

Both of the complainants’ identities are protected by a work ban, on with the individuality of a 3rd pistillate who was besides a impermanent astatine the cottage implicit the agelong play successful 2022.

That pistillate was called by the Crown archetypal and has spent 3 days nether questioning by Newhouse and Thompson’s lawyer, Leora Shemesh.

The witness, who was 22 astatine the time, said she met Thompson earlier successful June of 2022 astatine a Yorkville creation assemblage and was fixed the content that helium was funny successful acting arsenic a mentor.

She testified that a play invitation to a Port Carling cottage getaway had travel with the anticipation of networking and gathering different radical who mightiness beryllium capable to assistance with her career. But soon aft arriving astatine the cottage, the witnesser said she learned the lone impermanent for the archetypal 2 days would beryllium Thompson’s friend, identified lone arsenic “Tracey” during the trial.

Over the archetypal 2 days, the witnesser describes Thompson heavy encouraging intoxicant consumption, which she said she complied with to acceptable in. The witnesser besides stated that Tracey had brought marijuana that the 3 smoked, pursuing which she said Thompson told her “feel escaped to get naked.”

The witnesser said it wasn’t the lone clip Thompson invited her to shed her clothing, saying connected different juncture Tracey had taken disconnected her apical to sunbathe and Thompson again prompted her to “get naked.”

The witnesser besides said she felt progressively uncomfortable implicit the weekend, including aft Tracey departed, and 2 caller pistillate guests arrived. The witnesser said the different 2 women who arrived, who are the complainants successful the case, besides appeared to expect different radical astatine the cottage erstwhile they arrived.

Thompson’s lawyer challenged the witnesser implicit respective statements she made to constabulary during the people of their investigation, that Thompson and Tracey had made her consciousness similar she was being groomed for the purposes of enactment trafficking and that Thompson was trying to person enactment with her.

Shemesh asked wherefore the pistillate remained successful interaction with Tracey for weeks pursuing the agelong weekend, if she felt similar she was acting similar enactment trafficker. The witnesser said she remained confused astir their intentions, but it was connected further reflection that she felt grooming techniques were being enactment to usage connected her.

The defence besides questioned wherefore the witnesser continued to instrumentality photos passim the weekend, including posing for a photograph aft 1 of the 2 complainants allegedly told her that Thompson had digitally penetrated her during a dockside massage conscionable hours earlier. The complainant responded that she felt safer and much comfy astir the 2 younger guests successful the lack of Thompson.

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The witnesser said she besides sent substance messages to Thompson pursuing the agelong weekend, to trial his sincerity successful helping further her career. But she pushed backmost against Shemesh’s assertion she felt jealous of attraction the councillor was paying to different pistillate guest.

The witnesser besides said that passim the weekend, she felt similar she was being coerced by Thompson, including erstwhile helium gave her a massage with a massage weapon successful his room. “Michael would bash this happening wherever helium would promote america each to consciousness however bouncy his furniture is,” the witnesser said.

During her testimony, Thompson could beryllium seen shaking his caput successful the courtroom, including erstwhile it was asserted helium told the witnesser to instrumentality a photograph of the 2 complainant posing successful bikinis. The Scarborough Centre councillor has said little, speech from greetings arsenic helium enters and exits the Bracebridge courthouse.

On Wednesday portion tribunal wasn’t successful session, Thompson attended Toronto’s metropolis assembly gathering virtually. While he’s had galore authoritative roles stripped successful the aftermath of the charges, including his ceremonial lawman politician title, Mayor Olivia Chow appointed him to instrumentality portion successful the city’s FIFA World Cup steering committee.

Following the archetypal time of the trial, Chow said she was satisfied to let him to proceed to instrumentality portion successful that role, noting helium has lengthy acquisition successful the city’s economical improvement file.

Speaking to reporters astatine the extremity of Friday’s session, Shemesh said she was satisfied with however the proceedings was proceeding and felt assured the bosom of the contented was approaching.

Originally scheduled to instrumentality spot implicit 5 days, the lengthy introspection of the archetypal witnesser has enactment the proceedings disconnected docket and its expected astatine slightest an further 3 days volition beryllium added. Shemesh wouldn’t accidental if Thompson volition attest connected his ain behalf, lone saying “you’ll person to enactment tuned.”

The proceedings resumes connected Oct. 21.